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BV  2060  .D42  1893  c.2 
Dennis,  James  S.  1842-1914 
Foreign  missions  after  a 
century 


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FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY, 


STUDENTS    LECTU-RES    ON    MISSIONS 
^  PRINCETON  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY 

MDCCCXCIII 


FOREIGN   MISSIONS 
AFTER  A  CENTURY 


REV.  j AMES  S.  DENNIS,  D.D, 

OF  THE  AMERICAN  PRESBYTERIAN  MISSION 
BEIRUT,   SYRIA 


"  Out  of  the  shadows  of  night 
The  700*' Id  breaks  out  into  light; 
It  is  daybreak  everywhere." 


Fourth  Edition. 


FLEMING   H.  REVELL   COMPANY 

New  York  Chicago  Toronto 

Ptiblishers  of  Evangelical  Literature 


Copyright, 

1893, 

Fleming  H.  Revell  Company. 


TO   THE 

MEMORY   OF 

ARTHUR   MITCHELL, 

WHO   LOVED   THE   CAUSE   OF   WORLD-WIDE   MISSIONS 

WITH   A   PASSION   WHICH   HE   CAUGHT   FROM   HIS   MASTER, 

THIS  BOOK  IS  INSCRIBED. 


PREFACE. 


These  lectures  were  delivered  in  the  spring 
of  1893,  before  the  faculty  and  students  of  Prince- 
ton Theological  Seminary,  on  the  basis  of  the 
newly  established  Students'  Lectureship  on  Mis- 
sions, being  the  first  course  delivered  on  that 
foundation.  The  second  lecture  has  been  ex- 
tended to  double  its  original  length,  in  order  to 
give  a  fuller  survey  of  the  world's  Macedonian 
appeal  than  was  possible  within  the  usual  limits 
of  a  single  lecture.  Otherwise  the  course  is 
printed  substantially  as  prepared  for  delivery, 
except  that  some  passages  here  and  there  which 
were  omitted  for  the  sake  of  brevity  have  been 
retained,  and  some  later  facts  of  interest  have 
been  inserted. 

The  establishment  of  lectureships  on  missions 
in  our  prominent  theological  seminaries  Is  timely 
and  in  touch  with  the  leadings  of  the  Spirit  of 

3 


4  PREFACE. 

God  in  our  day.  They  serve  a  useful  purpose  in 
imparting  fresh  information  and  quickening  an 
intelligent  interest  in  a  subject  which  stands  easily 
at  the  present  hour  in  the  front  rank  of  hopeful 
Christian  effort.  No  student  of  the  kingdom, 
no  servant  of  Christ  and  His  Church  should  fail 
to  give  serious  and  sympathetic  attention  to  the 
marvelous  development  of  missions  as  manifestly 
one  of  the  foremost  movements  of  Providence  in 
the  religious  history  of  our  century. 

J.  S.  D. 

Norfolk,  Conn.,  August,  1893. 


TABLE   OF   CONTENTS. 


LECTURE   I. 

PAGE 

The  Present-Day  Message  of  Foreign  Missions  to 
THE  Church 9 

Introductory  survey  of  the  general  theme  of  the  course 
— The  inductive  method  applied  to  Foreign  Missions — 
The  range  and  limits  of  discussion  indicated — Foreign 
Missions  personified  and  their  message  voiced — Some 
reasons  why  this  message  should  be  received  with  special 
honor:  (i)  It  speaks  to  us  of  world-wide  reformation; 
(2)  It  voices  to  us  a  thought  of  God;  (3)  It  teaches 
anew  the  great  lesson  of  the  universal  meaning  of  re- 
demption ;  (4)  It  announces  God's  purpose  to  train  His 
Church  for  wider  service  and  larger  usefulness  in  the 
world — The  message  of  Foreign  Missions  a  clear  and 
direct  call  of  Providence  to  the  Church — The  message 
analyzed:  (i)  It  summons  the  Church  to  contend  for 
the  spiritual  dominion  of  the  world ;  (2)  It  brings  us 
tidings  of  abounding  opportunity;  (3)  It  is  a  personal, 
confidential  revelation  of  special  privilege ;  (4)  It  presses 
upon  us  the  claims  of  duty;  (5)  It  sounds  a  ringing  note 
of  encouragement — Foreign  Missions  vindicated  by  his- 
tory, supported  by  a  divine  purpose,  and  indorsed  by  a 
divine  blessing. 

LECTURE    II. 

The    Present-Day    Meaning    of    the    Macedonian 
Vision 53 

The  Macedonian  Vision  a  typical  incident — It  has  its 
present-day  counterpart  in  the  claims  of  Foreign  Missions 

5 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

— The  Macedonian  Vision  of  to-day  a  vivid  and  pictur- 
esque reality — The  verisimilitude  of  some  of  the  Mace- 
donian calls  of  the  hour — A  Macedonian  Telegram  from 
Japan — A  Winged  Message  from  Korea — A  Weighty  Call 
from  China — An  Appeal  from  the  Waiting  Isles — Other 
messages  from  Siam,  Burma,  India,  Africa,  the  Turkish 
Empire,  Persia,  South  America,  Central  America,  and 
Mexico — The  Macedonian  Vision  expanded  and  glorified 
— Its  special  urgency  at  the  present  time — The  present 
condition  of  the  heathen  world  would  call  for  the  sacrifice 
of  Christ  had  it  never  been  made — The  Church  has  the 
privilege  of  cooperating  with  God  in  a  service  which  is 
worth  the  sacrifice  of  the  Son  of  God. 


LECTURE   III. 

The  Present-Day  Conflicts  of  the  Foreign  Field  149 

Conflicts  inevitable  in  aggressive  efforts  at  reform — 
The  conflicts  of  Foreign  Missions:  (i)  With  a  self-cen- 
tered Christianity  in  the  Church  at  home ;  (2)  With  rival 
and  intrusive  missions  ;  (3)  With  misrepresentations  on 
the  part  of  those  who,  through  ignorance  or  prejudice, 
bear  false  testimony  against  the  cause ;  (4)  With  danger- 
ous climates  and  unhealthy  environments  ;  (5)  With  the 
political  and  commercial  ambitions  of  European  govern- 
ments, and  with  vice  and  greed  as  exhibited  in  the  lives 
of  unwortliy  representatives  of  Western  Civilization  in 
foreign  lands  ;  (6)  With  the  opposition  of  heathen  govern- 
ments and  ecclesiastical  hierarchies  ;  (7)  With  the  aroused 
and  quickened  antagonism  of  devout  and  loyal  adherents 
of  opposing  religions ;  (8)  With  the  prejudices,  super- 
stitions, jealousies,  traditions,  and  conscientious  convic- 
tions of  the  native  mind ;  (9)  With  the  Prince  of  Dark- 
ness and  his  immemorial  ally,  the  fallen  nature  of  man — 
These  conflicts  have  a  useful  mission  in  the  religious  his- 
tory of  the  world. 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


LECTURE   IV. 

PAGE 

The  Present-Day  Problems  of  Theory  and  Method 
IN  Missions 195 

Problems  distinguished  from  conflicts — God  trains  His 
Church  in  the  school  of  problems — Some  present  prob- 
lems of  the  foreign  missionary  enterprise:  (i)  The  prob- 
lem of  theory — a  true  theory  of  missions  involves  correct 
ideas  as  to  the  motive,  the  object,  the  necessity,  and  the 
results  of  missions;  (2)  The  problem  of  finance;  (3)  The 
problem  of  cooperation ;  (4)  The  problem  of  method ; 
(5)  The  problem  of  native  development. 

LECTURE   V. 

The    Present-Day    Controversies    of    Christianity 
WITH  Opposing  Religions 243 

Christianity  the  mother  of  Controversy — Religion  and 
its  mission  in  the  world — The  genesis  of  false  religions — 
They  are  the  corruptions  and  perversions  of  a  primitive 
revelation,  mingled  with  a  large  increment  of  rationalistic 
speculation  and  degrading  superstition — Their  practice 
always  worse  than  their  theory — Christianity  as  a  mis- 
sionary religion  enters  a  preoccupied  realm — It  addresses 
itself,  as  Paul  did  among  the  Athenians,  to  a  "  very  relig- 
ious "  as  well  as  a  very  sinful  people — The  religious  state 
of  the  heathen  world — The  struggle  of  the  human  mind 
to  formulate  and  put  into  practice  a  saving  religion  has 
been  sadly  and  completely  in  vain — The  unconscious  call 
of  the  heathen  world  to  Christianity  for  light — The  sublime 
message  of  Christianity  to  heathenism — The  serious  aspects 
of  the  controversies  of  Christianity  with  ethnic  religions 
— The  message  of  Christianity  compared  with  the  teach- 
ings of  the  prominent  religions  of  the  East — The  difficul- 
ties which  environ  Christianity  in  her  entrance  among 
heathen  religions — There  is  no  cause  for  discouragement 


8  TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

— The  triumph  of  Christianity  assured — Another  "  full- 
ness of  time  "  is  hastening  on — The  message  of  Christian- 
ity analyzed  in  its  adaptation  to  the  needs  of  the  heathen 
world — Christianity  enters  the  Eastern  world  after  the 
failure  of  the  ethnic  religions  has  been  fully  demonstrated 
— Christianity  has  aheady  rallied  to  her  support  a  multi- 
tude of  living  witnesses  among  heathen  nations — The 
beauty,  sublimity,  and  worth  of  our  simple  Gospel. 

LECTURE   VI. 

The  Present-Day  Summary  of  Success 295 

What  is  meant  by  success  in  the  mission  enterprise — A 
true  estimate  of  missionary  success  must  take  cognizance 
of  many  things  besides  mere  visible  results — A  review  of 
the  successes  of  the  century:  (i)  Success  as  indicated  by 
tlie  manifest  tokens  of  God's  favor,  and  the  signs  of  His 
providential  cooperation  for  the  advancement  of  missions 
— He  has  opened  the  world  to  the  entrance  of  the  mis- 
sionary— The  era  of  colonization — Modern  facilities — The 
cooperation  of  modern  scholarship — The  removal  of  hin- 
drances ;  (2)  Success  as  indicated  in  the  rapid  multiphca- 
tion  of  missionary  agencies  ;  (3)  The  success  implied  in 
the  establishment  of  the  mission  plant  in  foreign  lands — 
evangelistic,  educational,  literary,  medical,  industrial;  (4) 
The  success  involved  in  the  introduction  of  the  Gospel 
leaven  throughout  the  heathen  world;  (5)  The  success 
implied  in  the  growing  cooperation  of  native  agencies,  and 
the  development  of  spontaneity  in  the  mission  churches  ; 
(6)  The  success  as  revealed  in  actual  conversions  that 
have  resulted  from  missionary  work — Rapid  transforma- 
tions and  large  percentage  of  growth  in  missions — The 
indirect  results  of  mission  progress — The  Church's  her- 
itage in  the  past  century  of  missions. 


LECTURE   I. 

THE    PRESENT-DAY   MESSAGE    OF    FOREIGN 
MISSIONS    TO    THE    CHURCH. 


**No  Church  can  live  on  its  past ;  it  must  live  by  faith  and 
duty  in  the  present ;  no  Church  has  any  claim  to  be  whose  only 
right  is  historical.  The  07ily  claim  is  present  truth  and  life,  love 
and  service,  making  the  Church  a  temple  of  the  living  God,  a  body 
for  the  living  Spirit  of  Christ.  Chtirches,  then,  everywhere  live 
under  the  judicial  and  by  the  evangelical  law.  This  makes  it 
necessary  that  7io  Church  or  body  of  Churches  lose  for  one  moment 
their  evangelical  zeal.  The  Churches  are  boujid  to  be  vehicles  of 
the  grace  of  God,  living  centers  of  evangelical  energy  and  force, 
changing  ever  the  secret  life  that  is  in  them  into  the  lives  that  are 
to  be,  penetrating  the  present,  preparing  the  fjiture,  being  in  all 
their  parts  as  bodies  of  the  living  God." — Dr.  A.  M.  Fairbairn. 

*  *  The  signs  of  the  times,  the  lessons  of  the  past,  the  indications 
of  the  future^  the  call  of  Providence,  and  the  voices  which  co?ne 
borne  to  us  by  every  breeze,  and  fro?)i  every  nation  under  heaven, 
all  alike  bid  us  lay  our  plans  upo7t  a  scale  worthy  of  men  who 
expect  to  conquer  a  world.'''' — BiSHOP  J.  M.  Thoburn. 


lO 


THE   PRESENT-DAY  MESSAGE    OF  FOREIGN 
MISSIONS   TO    THE   CHURCH. 

I  AM  grateful  for  the  privilege  and  deeply 
sensible  of  the  honor  of  addressing  this  audience 
upon  a  theme  so  important,  so  timely,  so  vital  to 
the  highest  interests  of  the  Church,  so  worthy 
of  the  attention  of  theological  students,  and  so 
charged  with  the  freshest  energies  and  the  largest 
hopes  of  modern  Christianity.  It  has  given  an 
added  interest  and  incitement  to  the  pleasant 
task  of  preparing  these  lectures,  that  I  have  been 
invited  to  meet  you  as  the  *'  Students*  Lecturer 
on  Missions." 

Were  a  veritable  prophet  of  God  commissioned 

in  our  day  to  deliver  a  divine  message  to  the 

Church,  I  think  the  "  burden"  of  missions  would 

occupy  a  prominent  place,  if  not  the  leading  one, 

in  his  discourse.    I  am  not  a  prophet,  nor  the  son 

of  a  prophet,  but,  alas !  I  have  a  prophet's  theme, 

II 


12        FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

and  I  can  only  pray  that  God  will  give  me  His 
special  help,  and  give  to  you  a  large  measure  of 
kindly  charity,  while  I  invite  your  attention  to 
what  might  be  called  a  Columbian  Brief  on  For- 
eign Missions.  Since  this  is  a  year  of  exhibits  in 
connection  with  the  World's  Exposition,  I  might 
give  a  graphic  touch  to  my  theme  by  calling  it 
A  Centennial  Exhibit  of  Mission  Progress.  I  am 
afraid,  however,  that  the  fragmentary  and  pain- 
fully inadequate  make-up  of  the  exhibit  would 
fail  to  justify  the  title,  and  so  I  am  inclined  to 
announce  it  as  simply  "  Foreign  Missions  after  a 
Century." 

As  we  review  the  past  history  of  the  Church, 
we  can  find  many  unmistakable  signs  of  God's 
presence  and  power,  but  I  am  sure  that  present 
history  is  also  full  of  God,  and,  if  I  mistake  not, 
this  missionary  movement  of  the  Church  is  as 
much  a  divine  inspiration  as  any  great  event  in 
sacred  records.  Let  us  try  to  realize  this,  and  it 
will  make  us  stronger  and  braver  for  the  special 
work  which  God  will  give  us  to  do  in  this  our 
day  of  unparalleled  opportunity  and  promise. 

Your  kind  invitation  to  lecture  upon  the  subject 
of  Foreign  Missions  led  me  to  ask  myself  this 


THE  PRESENT  MESSAGE.  13 

question :  *'  If  you  were  yourself  a  student  in  a 
theological  seminary,  and  a  lecturer  on  missions 
should  present  himself,  what  would  be  the  aspect 
of  the  theme  which  you  would  particularly  desire 
him  to  bring  before  you  ?  What  would  you  like 
to  hear  about  ?  What  would  you  especially  wel- 
come in  the  line  of  information,  or  instruction,  or 
practical  contribution  to  your  working  capital  as  a 
minister  ?  "  The  answer  came  almost  instinctively 
to  my  mind,  and  gave  instant  shape  to  the  subject 
as  I  now  propose  to  bring  it  before  you.  I  re- 
plied to  my  own  question  that  I  should  like  to 
know  about  the  present  status  of  Foreign  Mis- 
sions ;  I  should  like  to  have  a  realistic  picture  of 
the  actual  state  of  things  in  our  foreign  fields ;  I 
should  like  to  know  the  true  inwardness  and  the 
unclothed  outwardness  of  the  whole  subject;  I 
should  like  to  feel,  after  I  had  heard  such  a  course 
of  lectures,  that  I  had  been  to  the  front  and  knew 
from  personal  observation  the  top  and  bottom 
facts  of  the  whole  situation. 

If  we  wished  to  know  something  about  West- 
minster Abbey,  or  St.  Peter's  at  Rome,  we  could 
adopt  no  plan  which  would  result  in  such  satis- 
factory knowledge  and  give  us  such  clarified  and 


14        FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

vivified  impressions,  as  that  of  an  actual  visit  and 
a  personal  inspection.  I  invite  you,  therefore,  in 
these  lectures  to  accompany  me  upon  a  voyage 
of  discovery,  a  tour  of  personal  observation,  to 
those  regions  of  thought  and  service  and  practical 
experience  which  are  occupied  by  this  great  enter- 
prise. I  would  like  to  organize  an  exploring  ex- 
pedition into  those  realms  of  Christian  labor  and 
conflict  and  heroism  which  have  come  into  view 
during  our  present  century,  Hke  one  of  those  vast 
continental  upheavals  in  old  geological  times, 
when  out  of  the  mists  and  vapors  and  submerging 
waters  a  new  world  was  slowly  lifted  into  sight. 
This  whole  continent  of  modern  missionary  efi'ort 
invites  to  exploration.  If  I  mistake  not,  it  is 
veritably  a  new  realm,  of  continental  proportions, 
which  has  come  to  stay,  and  is  to  be  the  scene 
of  the  noblest  triumphs  and  the  most  convincing 
vindication  of  historic  Christianity. 

Our  plan,  then,  is  the  application  of  the  in- 
ductive method  to  this  subject  of  Foreign  Mis- 
sions. Induction  may  be  broadly  defined  as 
entering  in,  finding  out,  and  giving  a  report. 
Deduction  may  be  described  as  accepting  prem- 
ises and  assuming  that  certain  facts  follow.     The 


THE  PRESENT  MESSAGE.  15 

result  of  the  former  is  a  systematic  statement  of 
facts  and  the  truths  indicated  by  these  facts ;  it 
is  a  simple  statement  of  the  case.  The  result  of 
the  latter  is  a  theoretical  generalization  of  infer- 
ences, involving  supposed  laws  and  causes ;  it  is 
a  statement  of  what  lies  back  of  visible  facts.  It 
is  difficult  to  base  an  appeal  upon  theory ;  we 
must  bring  forward  facts,  and  state  actual  con- 
ditions. The  theory  that  there  was  a  famine  in 
Russia  would  never  have  sent  ships  of  food  there, 
but  the  fact  was  all-persuasive ;  the  actual  condi- 
tion of  starvation  was  irresistible.  In  connection 
with  the  ministry  of  Philip,  the  multitude  gave 
heed  when  they  "  heard  and  saw  the  signs  which 
he  did  "  ;  so  facts  are  the  "  signs  "  to  which  men 
will  "  give  heed  "  in  the  consideration  of  the  sub- 
ject now  before  us.  I  shall  endeavor  to  be  brief, 
and  must  often  be  abrupt.  I  shall  have  no  time 
for  Gothic  architecture  in  words,  or  for  landscape 
gardening  in  rhetoric.  I  must  generally  take  the 
short  cut,  and  I  cannot  avoid  the  sharp  angles. 
My  object  will  be  to  give  as  full  a  treatment  to 
the  theme  as  limits  of  time  and  space  allow,  and 
my  effort  will  be  to  give  information  in  a  con- 
densed form,  which  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  you 


1 6        FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

ypurselves  will  elaborate  in  future  study  and  treat- 
ment of  this  theme. 

I  have  divided  the  course  into  six  lectures,  the 
subjects  of  which  will  be  presented  in  succession, 
as  follows : 

1.  The  Present-Day  Message  of  Foreign  Mis- 
sions to  the  Church. 

2.  The  Present-Day  Meaning  of  the  Mace- 
donian Vision. 

3.  The  Present- Day  Conflicts  of  the  Foreign 
Field. 

4.  The  Present- Day  Problems  of  Theory  and 
Method  in  Missions. 

5.  The  Present-Day  Controversies  of  Christian- 
ity with  Opposing  Religions. 

6.  The  Present-Day  Summary  of  Success. 

It  will  be  seen  at  once  that  my  plan  is  pano- 
ramic, but  that  there  are  many  important  aspects 
and  discussions  of  the  subject  which  are  ruled  out 
of  court  at  once,  and  however  interesting  and 
pertinent  they  might  be  in  some  other  scheme  of 
treatment,  yet  here  they  would  only  embarrass 
and  encumber  us.  I  must,  for  example,  leave 
out  of  our  view  any  extended  consideration  of 
the  proper  basis  of  foreign  missionary  service,  its 


THE  PRESENT  MESSAGE.  I  7 

scriptural  warrant,  its  inspiring  motives,  and  its 
.high  obhgations.      I  must  give  scant  attention  to 
its  history,  its  heroes,  and  the  magnificent  story 
of  its  early  toils  and  sacrifices.      I  must  omit  any 
elaborate  discussion  of  the  theory  or  philosophy 
of  missions,  and  all  attempts  at  any  exhaustive 
treatment  of  the  peculiarities  of  the  great  non- 
Christian  religions  of  the  world,  or  the  social  and 
moral  condition  of  the  countries  outside  of  Chris- 
tendom and  the  characteristics  of  the  peoples  in- 
habiting them.     I  must  forego  all  mention  of  the 
direct  and  indirect  benefits  that  have  come  to  the 
world  through  missions,  of  their  discoveries  and 
achievements   in   adding   to   the   sum  of   human 
knowledge.      We    must    move    swiftly    through 
present  scenes,  and  only  glance  hastily  into  these 
vistas  of  delightful  research  that  radiate  in  diflfer- 
ent  directions  from  our  present  standpoint. 

The  subject  of  my  lecture  to-day  is  The  Present- 
Day  Message  of  Foreign  Missions  to  the  Church. 
If  we  should  personify  the  cause  of  Foreign  Mis- 
sions, and  give  it  a  message  to  the  Church  of 
Christ  at  the  present  hour,  what  would  be  the 
spirit  and  the  tenor  of  that  communication?  Let 
me  bespeak,  however,  in  advance,  a  special  wel- 


1 8        FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

come  for  the  message  it  would  bring,  for  several 
reasons,  of  which  I  will  name  four : 

I.  It  is  a  message  which  presents  to  us  the  in- 
spiring conception  of  a  world-wide  reformation ; 
or  perhaps  regeneration  is  the  more  proper  term 
to  use.  We  have  had  local  reformations  in  relig- 
ious history ;  we  had  them  in  Hebrew  history, 
before  the  coming  of  Christ.  The  result  of  early 
Christian  labors  was  the  conversion  of  the  Roman 
Empire,  and  in  the  sixteenth  century  came  the 
great  historic  Reformation  of  Europe.  Now,  for 
the  first  time  in  the  history  of  our  earth,  this 
great  movement  in  the  direction  of  regeneration 
or  reformation  is  beginning  to  shape  itself  into  a 
world-wide  enterprise.  If  the  Reformation  of  the 
sixteenth  century,  which  was,  strictly  speaking, 
only  European  in  its  influence,  has  broadened  and 
deepened  into  such  glorious  streams  of  Christian 
progress,  may  we  not  expect  that  a  reformation  so 
extended  as  that  contemplated  in  modern  missions 
will  produce  world-wide  fruit,  especially  since  it 
has  all  the  advantages  aff"orded  by  modern  inven- 
tions, and  facilities,  and  methods  of  communica- 
tion, and  international  relations,  and  the  almost 
magical  expedients  for  disseminating  knowledge  ? 


THE  PRESENT  MESSAGE.  19 

2.  It  is  a  message  which  speaks  to  us  of  the 
realization  of  God's  own  thoughts;  it  suggests  to 
us  the  practical  evolution  of  divine  ideals.  The 
special  thought  or  purpose  of  God  concerning  any 
age  of  the  world  is  the  peculiar  glory  of  that  age ; 
it  diflferentiates  it  forever  from  every  other;  it 
is  the  ''  white  stone  "  with  a  new  name  written 
upon  it,  which  God  alone  knows,  which  He  gives 
to  that  special  generation  in  the  world's  history. 
We  have  illustrations  of  this  all  through  history ; 
it  will  be  sufficient  for  my  purpose  to  call  your 
attention  to  that  ''  white  stone  "  which  God  gave 
to  that  age  which  was  forever  immortalized  as 
the  Era  of  the  Incarnation,  and  upon  which  was 
written,  in  God's  own  hand,  the  words  *'  fullness 
of  time,"  and  to  remind  you  that  the  *'  white 
stone  "  of  this  age  of  Christian  history  seems  to 
bear  upon  its  face  the  legend  of  '*  world-wide 
missions." 

3.  It  is  a  message  which  must  be  interpreted 
as  a  significant  and  impressive  evidence  of  a  new 
effort  on  the  part  of  the  Spirit  of  God  to  introduce 
into  the  religious  experience  of  God's  people  a 
recognition  of  the  universal  meaning  of  redemp- 
tion.    There  has  appeared  with  unusual  vividness 


20        FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

at  Intervals  in  the  history  of  revelation  what  might 
be  called  a  world- embracing  consciousness  in  the 
experience  of  prophets  and  teachers  who  have 
spoken  for  God,  and  there  has  been  manifest  at 
times  in  God's  messages  to  His  Church  an  un- 
mistakable purpose  to  develop  in  the  spiritual 
experience  of  His  people  a  sense  of  the  universal 
meaning  of  His  redemptive  purpose.  This  re- 
ligious world-consciousness  is  one  of  the  higher 
moods  of  feeling  in  the  Word  of  God,  and  in  the 
Christian  experience  of  the  Church;  it  is  a  sign 
in  our  day  of  the  ripening  plans  of  God ;  it  is  a 
later  and  fuller  unfolding  in  the  realm  of  practical 
experience  of  the  deep  meaning  of  many  of  the 
Old  Testament  prophecies  and  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment teachings.  Among  the  prophets  of  the  Old 
Testament  the  most  conspicuous  exponent  of  this 
world-consciousness  was  Isaiah;  his  prophecies 
throb  with  universal  terms.  When  Christ  came 
He  brought  into  divine  revelation  and  into  human 
history  the  fullest  expression  of  the  all-embracing 
purpose  of  God  which  the  world  has  received. 
His  personality  became  for  all  time  the  radiating 
center  not  only  of  universal  truth  but  of  universal 
love  and  world- embracing  purpose.     This  noble 


THE  PRESENT  MESSAGE.  21 

conception  has  been  sadly  forgotten  and  ignored 
as  centuries  have  passed.  The  world- conscious- 
ness seemed  to  die  out  in  the  experience  of  the 
Church,  and  it  is  only  in  our  present  century  that 
it  is  reviving,  in  connection  with  the  missionary 
enterprise  of  our  age.  It  is  a  consciousness  which 
has  been  identified  with  all  the  great  movements 
of  history  in  different  spheres  of  activity.  Great 
military  leaders  have  aspired  for  more  worlds  to 
conquer;  Mohammed  seems  to  have  been  a  man 
of  world-wide  aspirations ;  Rome  had  her  dreams 
of  universal  sway ;  the  thought  which  was  em- 
bodied in  the  scheme  of  the  Holy  Roman  Empire 
reached  out  after  world-wide  dominion.  Our 
Lord  Christ  has  given  this  thought  to  His  Church 
in  some  of  the  most  memorable  sentences  that 
fell  from  His  lips :  *'  Go  ye  into  all  the  world,  and 
preach  the  Gospel  to  every  creature  "  is  a  text 
which  reaches  out  into  all  time  and  all  space,  and 
there  is  no  true  exegesis  of  that  verse  except  the 
world-wide  missionary  interpretation  of  it.  It 
voices  the  eternal,  ever- vivid  world-consciousness 
of  Christ ;  it  is  addressed  to  the  corresponding 
capacity  for  largeness  of  vision  in  the  Church,  and 
this  message  of  Foreign  Missions  to  the  Church 


22        FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

of  to-day  is  the  latest  and  clearest  and  sweetest 
echo  of  Christ's  voice  which  the  history  of  Chris- 
tianity gives  us. 

4.  It  is  a  message  which  indicates  God's  pur- 
pose to  lead  His  Church  to  a  higher  stage  of 
spiritual  training  and  discipline  in  these  latter 
days.  The  Church  seems  to  have  had  special 
experiences  of  training  at  various  stages  of  her 
history.  In  the  early  centuries  she  walked  through 
fires  of  persecution.  She  has  had  special  periods 
of  intellectual  and  spiritual  schooling  in  the  great 
doctrinal  controversies  of  history.  Now  it  would 
seem  that  God  is  leading  her  into  a  realm  of  prac- 
tical training  and  discipline  in  the  school  of  un- 
selfish love  and  loyal  service.  ''  Go  work  to-day 
in  my  vineyard  "  is  the  lesson  of  the  age.  He 
is  opening  up  to  her  unprecedented  opportunities 
for  doing  her  work  in  the  world  in  a  spirit  of  prac- 
tical philanthropy,  and  is  making  it  possible  for 
her  to  win  the  world  by  love.  It  is  a  school  of 
training  in  the  higher  and  finer  and  more  Christ- 
like graces  of  Christianity.  It  will  bring  her  into 
sympathy  with  Christ  in  the  breadth  and  depth 
of  His  love,  in  His  willingness  to  serve  without 
reward,  and  His  readiness  to  die  in  sacrifice  for 


THE  PRESENT  MESSAGE.  23 

those  who  are  separated  from  Him  in  a  sense 
which  no  material  measurements  can  indicate. 
God  would  seem  to  be  alluring  the  Church  to  an 
experience  of  service  in  imitation  of  her  divine 
Master,  which  will  surely  lead  the  world  to  take 
knowledge  of  her  that  she  has  been  with  Jesus. 
She  is  thus  to  fill  up  "  that  which  is  lacking  of 
the  afflictions  of  Christ "  and  so  to  hasten  His 
triumphs,  which  are  to  come  in  the  extension  of 
His  kingdom  among  the  Gentiles.  Let  us  be 
sure  that  He  means  to  speak  comfortably  to  her, 
and  give  her  the  tokens  of  His  gracious  favor, 
as  never  before,  if  she  responds  loyally  to  His 
leadings. 

If  this  message  of  Foreign  Missions  is  the 
exponent  of  the  spirit  of  religious  reformation  in 
a  world-wide  sense;  if  it  marks  a  distinct  and 
significant  advance  in  the  evolution  of  redemptive 
purpose;  if  it  is  the  sign  of  the  Spirit  speaking 
once  more  in  the  ears  of  the  Church  in  the  terms 
of  those  grand  universal  conceptions,  which  have 
been  ever  the  finest  and  most  sublime  strains  of 
prophetic  song ;  if  it  indicates  an  efTort  on  God's 
part  to  bring  the  Church  into  a  sweeter  and  higher 
realm  of  spiritual  training,  where  her  discipline  will 


24        FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

be  in  an  atmosphere  of  love  and  have  to  do  with 
the  deeper  things  of  faith — then  let  us  humbly 
pray  that  God  would  give  us  ears  to  hear  *'  what 
the  Spirit  saith  to  the  Churches." 

Every  age  has  its  message  to  the  world,  and 
every  generation  has  its  call  of  Providence  to  the 
Church.  In  the  days  of  John  the  Baptist  came  a 
message  from  God  to  the  Church  of  that  genera- 
tion, and  there  was  no  mistaking  its  significance : 
"  Prepare  ye  the  way  of  the  Lord ;  make  His 
paths  straight."  The  Church  has  heard  these 
voices  in  every  age,  and  there  is  one  which  at 
the  present  hour  seems  to  come  to  her  out  of  the 
wilderness  of  the  heathen  world,  and  it  is  the  same 
startling  and  impressive  call  which  John  brought 
to  the  Church  of  his  age  from  the  wilderness  of 
Judea :  "  Prepare  ye  the  way  of  the  Lord ;  make 
His  paths  straight."  The  Church  is  accustomed 
to  take  counsel  and  gather  inspiration,  courage, 
and  cheer  directly  from  her  divine  Lord  and  Re- 
deemer, but  she  can  also  find  much  to  arouse  and 
direct  her  energies  in  the  special  message  of  the 
age  in  which  she  lives.  One  hundred  years  ago, 
and  there  was  no  call  of  Providence  throughout 
this  vast  continent,  summoning    the   Church  to 


THE  PRESENT  MESSAGE.  25 

activity  and  service,  if  we  except  the  special  needs 
of  that  line  of  original  settlements,  not  very  old, 
extending  along  our  eastern  seaboard.  There 
was  a  stillness  like  the  silence  of  our  primeval 
forests  brooding  over  all  the  continent.  Now, 
the  voice  of  Providence  sounds  throughout  a  vast 
and  populous  nation,  from  the  entering  in  of  dawn 
upon  our  eastern  borders,  gathering  might  and 
volume  as  it  advances,  until  it  passes  out  of  the 
golden  gates  of  sunset  upon  our  western  shores. 
One  hundred  years  ago,  and  so  far  as  any  general 
recognition  of  the  need  was  concerned,  or  any 
apparent  consciousness  of  the  call,  there  was  a 
silence  like  that  of  the  grave  resting  like  a  pall 
over  all  the  heathen  world — a  silence  which, 
though  eloquent  as  death,  utterly  failed  to  touch 
the  sympathies  or  move  the  conscience  of  Chris- 
tendom. To-day  the  whole  world  is  ringing  with 
voices  *' like  the  sound  of  many  waters,"  calling 
the  Church  to  an  aggressive  campaign  of  world- 
wide activity,  and  eventually  of  universal  conquest 
and  peaceful  occupation. 

I  would  like  to  speak  to  you  In  some  detail  of 
this  Present-Day  Message  of  Foreign  Missions  to 
the  Church  of  Christ ;   I  would  like  to  attempt  to 


26        FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

give  you  In  brief  outline  what  seems  to  me  some 
of  the  significant  points  of  this  wilderness  call  to 
the  Church  of  our  day ;  I  would  like  to  attempt, 
perhaps  in  a  very  fragmentary  and  imperfect 
way,  to  interpret  this  voice  of  Providence,  which 
comes  to  us  at  the  present  hour  so  grandly  en- 
forced by  our  foreign  missionary  enterprise. 

The  first  point  to  which  I  would  call  your  at- 
tention in  this  message  is  that  it  is  a  summons  to 
the  Church  to  engage  in  a  contest  for  the  spiritual 
championship  of  the  world.  Now,  we  have  no 
difficulty  in  understanding  the  significance  and 
importance  of  a  game  for  the  championship  in 
connection  with  any  of  our  popular  athletic  sports. 
Any  schoolboy  can  tell  us  why  a  game  for  the 
championship  will  arouse  more  interest  and  call 
forth  more  enthusiasm  than  any  ordinary  contest, 
and  yet  when  we  speak  of  a  contest  for  the  spir- 
itual championship  of  the  round  earth,  there  are 
many  who  fail  to  catch  the  inspiration  of  the 
idea ;  it  is  altogether  too  unreal  and  too  tame  to 
touch  the  heart  and  stir  the  pulse.  And  yet,  do 
we  realize  how  thoroughly  the  Church  of  Christ 
is  now  committed  to  this  struggle  for  the  cham- 
pionship, and  what  importance  and  significance 


THE  PRESENT  MESSAGE.  27 

attaches  to  it?  This  conflict  of  the  Church  with 
her  spiritual  foes  is  rapidly  assuming  a  world- 
wide magnitude.  It  is  rapidly  assuming  the  pro- 
portions of  a  final  struggle  for  universal  dominion. 
The  Church  must  never  fail,  or  even  falter ;  she 
mu.st  gird  herself  for  the  final  struggle,  and,  with 
God's  help,  she  must  and  will  win.  Should  she 
fail  to  do  this,  it  would  surely  be  the  result  only 
of  carelessness  or  indifference  or  sloth  on  her  part, 
and  in  that  case  we  can  hardly  estimate  what  an 
immense  loss  of  her  prestige  there  would  be,  and 
what  painful  dishonor  would  come  to  the  name 
of  Christ.  Every  sceptic  would  see  additional 
reason  to  doubt;  every  infidel  would  find  another 
occasion  to  scoff ;  and  do  we  realize  how  difficult 
it  would  be  should  the  Church  of  Christ  sound  a 
retreat,  or  even  proclaim  a  truce  in  this  great 
conflict  of  missions,  to  convince  the  world  that 
Christianity  is  not  simply  one  of  the  various  hu- 
man religions  which  has  now  in  its  turn  had  its 
day,  and  failed  in  accomplishing  the  purpose  for 
which  it  was  professedly  established?  On  the 
other  hand,  let  us  note  well  that  the  success  of 
the  missionary  enterprise  will  be  in  itself  the  in- 
vincible apologetic  argument  of  our  age.     This 


2  8        FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTHR  A  CENTURY. 

will  be  the  weapon  which  can  so  easily  subdue 
and  silence  scepticism.  It  will  be  the  sign  of 
the  presence  and  activity  of  a  supernatural  force 
which  Heaven  vouchsafes  in  these  latter  days  of 
Gospel  conflict.  There  is  no  mightier  antidote  to 
infidelity  than  reality.  The  manifest  power  of 
the  Gospel  in  its  missionary  triumphs  will  vindi- 
cate Christianity  before  the  eyes  of  a  wondering 
world.  It  will  be  the  nearest  possible  counter- 
part of  the  revealed  personality  of  Christ  Him- 
self, before  which  scepticism  can  never  hold  its 
ground. 

The  second  point  to  which  I  would  call  your 
attention  in  this  Present- Day  Message  of  Foreign 
Missions  to  the  Church  is  its  inspiring  tidings  of 
abounding  opportunity.  Never  in  the  history  of 
the  Christian  Church  has  she  received  such  im- 
pressive and  wonderful  tidings  of  brilliant  oppor- 
tunity as  come  to  her  to-day  from  all  our  foreign 
mission  fields.  When  in  the  history  of  the  Church 
has  it  been  so  easy  to  send  our  missionaries  to 
the  ends  of  the  earth,  and  extend  to  them  ade- 
quate protection  and  support  and  sympathy,  as 
at  the  present  hour  ?  All  the  facilities  of  modern 
methods    of    travel,    of   postal    arrangements,  of 


THE  PRESENT  MESSAGE.  29 

international  comity,  of   financial  exchange,  and 
of  telegraphic  communication  are  in  the  interest 
of  foreign  mission  work.      By  means  of  the  tele- 
graph our  government  is  enabled  to  extend  its 
protection  to  missionary  citizens  living  in  distant 
lands.      And  when  at  any  previous  time  in  the 
history  of  the  world  has  there  been  such  an  or- 
ganized effort  on  the  part  of  missionary  societies 
and   boards  to  attend  properly  to  the  vast  and 
complicated  details  of  the   practical   business  of 
missions?     The  facilities  of  our  age  in  this  line  of 
things  are  simply  wonderful.      An  ordinary  con- 
tribution-box has  become  an  instrument  by  which 
the  contributor  as  he  sits  in  his  pew  can  touch 
every  continent,  and  do  a  work  for  Christ  where 
his  own  footsteps  can  never  tread.      It  is  just  as 
easy  now   to   do   missionary  work    in   degraded 
Asia,  or  in  darkest  Africa,  as  it  was  a  few  years 
ago  in  the  western  regions  of  our  own  country. 

And  then  what  tidings  come  to  us  of  beckon- 
ing opportunities  in  the  foreign  field  which  are  at 
the  same  time  so  alluring  and  so  burdensome  to 
the  missionaries!  It  is  difficult  for  the  Christian 
pubUc  at  home  to  understand  or  appreciate  the 
needs  and  emergencies  of  these  distant  fields.     A 


30        FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

few  months  ago  and  we  all  read  in  the  papers  of 
a  terrible  earthquake  in  Japan,  in  which  7000 
human  beings  were  reported  killed  and  10,000 
wounded,  and  80,000  houses  destroyed,  and  yet 
it  was  all  so  vague,  so  unreal,  so  far  away,  that  I 
will  venture  to  say  that  not  one  of  us  lost  a  wink 
of  sleep  at  night  on  that  account.  And  it  is 
just  so  with  these  tidings  of  the  needs  and  emer- 
gencies and  pressing  opportunities  which  come  to 
us  from  our  foreign  missionary  fields :  they  are 
all  so  unreal,  so  vague,  so  apparently  far  away, 
that  we  fail  to  catch  their  significance ;  and  yet 
the  opportunities  are  there  just  the  same,  and 
they  are  such  as  any  military  commander  would 
be  cashiered  for  neglecting  if  he  dared  to  ignore 
them  in  the  midst  of  a  military  campaign.  The 
Church  needs  a  new,  a  larger  outlook  of  faith ; 
she  needs  more  seeing  of  the  unseen  in  the  sphere 
of  that  kingdom  which  "  cometh  not  with  obser- 
vation." There  are  traces  of  an  invisible  pres- 
ence among  the  nations  ;  we  see  in  the  unequaled 
opportunities  which  greet  us  on  every  hand,  the 
evidences  of  a  transcendent  purpose  moving  rap- 
idly toward  its  goal.  Bishop  Thoburn  of  India 
said,  in  a  recent  address,  that  since  he  went  to 


THE  PRESENT  MESSAGE.  3 1 

the  foreign  field,  the  door  of  access,  which  had 
been  heretofore  closed,  has  been  thrown  open  to 
more  than  700,000,000  of  the  human  race. 

This  message  of  unparalleled  opportunity  is  in 
itself   a  call  for  generous  support  and  enlarged 
activity  on  the  part  of   the  Church.     Has  God 
ever  called  so  impressively  for  the  facilities  and 
the  men  needed  to  do  His  work?     Has  He  ever 
summoned  more  directly,  will  He  ever  command 
more  solemnly,  the  consecrated  energies  of  His 
people  in  whole-hearted  dedication  to  His  service? 
We  are  tempted  sometimes  to  wish  that  God 
would  perform   miracles   in  the   interest  of  His 
Church  and  for  the  progress  of  His  kingdom,  as 
He  did  in  Old  Testament  times  for  His  chosen 
people,  the  Jews ;   and  yet  it  seems  to  me  that 
here  is  what  might  be  regarded  as  almost  a  mir- 
acle in  our  day,  and  one  which  will  compare  with 
some  of  the  most  conspicuous  examples  of  the 
Old  Testament.   We  read  of  how  Moses  stretched 
out  his  rod  across  the  sea  and  made  a  pathway 
upon  dry  land  for  the  hosts  of  Israel  out  of  Egypt, 
and  how  Miriam,  with  her  timbrel  and  other  in- 
struments  of  music,  sang    her  song  of  triumph 
after   the   Israelites   had   safely   marched    across 


-32        FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

their  pathway  through  the  waters.  Think  now 
of  that  surging  sea  of  prejudice  and  ignorance 
and  heathen  hostihty  and  obstinate*  exclusiveness 
which  separated,  only  a  few  years  ago,  the  Church 
of  Christ  from  the  inaccessible  heathen  world  ; 
and  now  look  to-day,  and  see  the  missionary  hosts 
of  the  Church  marching  dry-shod  into  the  very 
heart  of  heathendom.  Is  not  this  worthy  of 
being  called  a  miracle,  or  at  least  a  special  inter- 
vention of  Providence  in  the  interests  of  the  ad- 
vancement of  the  divine  kingdom? 

Then,  again,  we  read  in  the  Old  Testament  of 
how  Elijah  went  to  the  top  of  Carmel  and  prayed 
for  rain,  and  how  God  sent  a  little  cloud,  about 
the  size  of  a  man's  hand,  in  the  heavens,  to  indi- 
cate the  coming  of  abundance  of  rain.  And  so 
within  our  memory  the  Elijahs  of  our  Church 
have  gone  to  their  Mount  Carmel  of  prayer,  and 
prayed  for  access  to  the  whole  earth  and  for  a 
blessing  upon  the  heathen  world,  and  to-day  the 
Church  has  entered  almost  every  foreign  field, 
and  we  can  hear  the  pattering  of  those  great 
drops  of  divine  grace  which  foretell  the  coming 
abundance  of  blessing,  when  God's  time  shall 
have  fully  come.     Is  not  this  also,  if  we  have  eyes 


THE  PRESENT  MESSAGE.  33 

to  see,  If  not  indeed  a  miracle,  at  least  a  special 
intervention  of  Providence,  and  a  manifest  answer 
to  prayer? 

A  third  point  of  singular  beauty  and  winsome- 
ness  in  the  Present- Day  Message  of  Foreign  Mis- 
sions to  the  Church  is  the  new,  fresh,  almost  con- 
fidential revelation  of  privilege  It  brings  to  us. 
Our  Lord  has  never,  at  least  for  centuries,  spoken 
to  any  generation  of  the  Church  in  such  terms  of 
providential  entreaty  and  with  such  a  spirit  of 
personal  confidence  concerning  the  privileges  of 
His  service.  From  all  the  foreign  mission  fields 
the  Church  has  this  same  inspiring  message  of 
privilege.  It  is  as  if  Christ  sat  down  with  His 
Church  to  tell  her  in  the  freedom  of  a  personal 
interview  what  she  can,  if  she  will,  do  for  Him  at 
once.  The  word  ''  privilege,"  if  we  consider  Its 
derivation,  from  privtis,  separate,  and  lex,  law, 
means  a  separate  law  enacted  for  the  advantage 
of  some  individual  or  community,  and  in  common 
usage  it  has  come  to  have  a  signification  indicat- 
ing some  special  benefit  or  favor  or  advantage 
belonging  to  kings  and  queens  and  ambassadors 
and  princes,  which  separates  them  from  other 
people.     Now  it  seems  to  me  that  in  just  this 


34        FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

meaning  of  the  term  missionary  work  is  a  privi- 
lege ;  it  is  a  separate  law  enacted  by  the  great 
Author  of  all  law,  for  the  benefit  and  advantage 
of  Christ's  followers,  and  gives  them  a  position 
of  privilege  in  the  world  which  separates  them 
from  all  others.  It  makes  them  kings  and  queens 
and  princes  and  ambassadors  in  the  royal  realm 
of  Christian  service.  All  merely  earthly  dis- 
tinctions, honors,  and  privileges  will  some  day 
fade  away,  and  perhaps  be  altogether  forgotten, 
but  this  privilege  of  missionary  service,  if  humbly 
received  and  rightly  used,  will  shine  as  the  stars 
for  ever  and  ever. 

May  we  not  interpret  the  missionary  provi- 
dences of  our  day,  and  the  present  marvelous 
story  of  an  opening  world,  as  the  voice  of  Christ 
speaking  to  His  bride  concerning  His  own  per- 
sonal desires,  and  indicating  to  her  a  noble  service 
which  she  might  well  feel  to  be  a  privilege  to  do 
for  Him  with  promptness  and  alacrity  ? 

Now  notice  how  this  privilege  of  missions  will 
bear  analyzing  in  our  day.  Here  is  the  Bible 
translated  fully  into  90  languages  of  the  earth 
and  partially  into  230,  making  in  all  320  languages 
through  which  enough  Gospel  truth  is  revealed 


THE  PRESENT  MESSAGE.  35 

to  guide  the  soul  to  Christ.  There  are  280  mis- 
sionary societies  organized  for  work ;  there  are 
9000  missionaries  in  the  fields;  there  are  44,532 
native  assistants  associated  with  them ;  almost  a 
round  million  of  converts  have  been  gathered 
into  the  Church ;  and  there  are  fully  4,000,000 
adherents,  under  the  influence,  directly  and  in- 
directly, of  missionary  instruction.  There  are 
70,000  pupils  gathered  in  higher  educational  in- 
stitutions, and  608,000  children  are  gathered  in 
village  missionary  schools.  The  Gospel  leaven 
has  penetrated  every  land  ;  Christian  instruction  is 
disseminated  in  almost  all  the  languages  of  the 
earth;  medical  missions  with  healing  touch  are 
allied  with  evangelistic  agencies  on  every  field. 
There  are  many  and  varied  facilities  waiting  to 
do  our  bidding  all  throughout  the  earth. 

Does  this  seem  to  you  rather  a  cold  and  per- 
functory way  of  looking  at  this  matter  of  mission- 
ary privilege  ?  Then  let  us  see  if  we  cannot  look 
at  it  in  a  more  practical  way,  and  get,  as  it  were, 
an  inside  view  of  what  it  means.  Come  with  me 
across  the  seas  to  some  of  our  foreign  mission 
stations,  and  let  us  call  at  the  home  of  some  na- 
tive convert,  and  try  through  a  personal  interview 


36        FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

with  him  to  learn  more  of  what  the  privilege  of 
missionary  work  really  means.  We  will  select 
some  elderly,  dignified,  keen,  intelligent,  observ- 
ant native  gentleman  of  Japan,  or  China,  or  India, 
or  Syria,  and  enter  his  home  to  have  a  friendly 
chat  with  him,  and  ask  him  what  he  has  to  say 
from  his  own  experience,  and  out  of  his  own 
memory,  which  runs  back  perhaps  for  fifty  years, 
of  the  results  of  missionary  work  in  his  native 
country.  He  will  tell  you  that  blessings  and 
benefits  have  come  to  his  people,  within  his  own 
memory,  through  the  foreign  missionary  work, 
which  were  never  dreamed  of  before.  Ply  him 
with  questions  :  ask  him  who  gave  him  his  Bible ; 
go  to  his  library,  and  ask  him  whence  he  received 
his  Christian  literature ;  see  who  is  the  editor  of 
his  religious  newspaper ;  ask  him  who  established 
schools  and  trained  his  school-teachers  and  pre- 
pared his  school-books.  Ask  him  who  estab- 
lished churches  and  trained  his  native  pastors, 
and  whence  came  those  revivals  of  religion  which 
we  read  of  in  these  distant  lands,  those  strange 
and  marvelous  exhibitions  of  the  power  of  God's 
Spirit  to  win  souls  to  the  kingdom  of  Christ  out 


THE  PRESENT  MESSAGE.  37 

of  the  surrounding  darkness,  and  he  will  tell  you 
that  they  had  not  so  much  as  heard  that  there 
was  a  Holy  Ghost  until  your  missionaries  came 
there,  and  God  poured  a  blessing  upon  their 
labors,  and  these  ''dry  bones  lived."  Ask  him 
about  Young  Men's  Christian  Associations,  and 
Young  People's  Societies  of  Christian  Endeavor, 
and  Missionary  Societies  in  the  native  churches; 
ask  him  about  Sabbath-schools,  and  International 
Lesson  Papers,  and  Sabbath-school  Libraries,  and 
those  songs  set  to  music  so  familiar  to  you ;  ask 
him  about  Christian  homes  with  their  family 
altars  and  their  prayerful  training  of  the  children ; 
ask  him  about  the  new  views  of  the  position  and 
dignity  of  woman  in  the  home  and  in  society ; 
ask  him  about  these  changes  so  full  of  light  and 
hope  and  inspiration  and  joy  to  so  many  around 
him,  and  whence  came  these  new  and  bright 
experiences.  A  few  years  ago,  and  this  native 
convert,  and  all  around  him,  were  living  in  the 
environment  of  about  the  tenth  century  of  the 
Christian  era,  in  the  intellectual  and  spiritual  ig- 
norance of  the  Dark  Ages.  Whence  came  this 
great  light  so  suddenly  in  his  day  ?     He  will  tell 


38        FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

you  that  the  missionaries  you  have  sent  there 
have  been  the  apostles  of  Hght  and  knowledge 
and  the  messengers  of  Gospel  instruction  to  his 
people.  Ask  him,  if  you  will,  about  more  secular 
matters :  about  changes  in  the  government  meth- 
ods ;  about  the  adoption  of  modern  facilities  and 
the  introduction  of  the  economics  of  modern  civ- 
ilization; of  the  administration  of  law,  and  the 
expansion  of  commerce,  and  the  education  of  the 
young.  Ask  him,  as  you  could  do,  especially  in 
such  a  land  as  Japan,  about  liberty,  justice,  and 
freedom  of  conscience ;  about  cabinets  and  parlia- 
ments, and  a  whole  list  of  brilliant  changes  in  the 
interests  of  modern  civilization;  and  if  he  tells 
you  the  real,  though  often  unrecognized,  secret  of 
these  latter  days,  he  will  say  that  the  men  and 
the  women  who  have  had  more  to  do,  humanly 
speaking,  than  all  others,  with  this  breaking  of 
the  day  in  those  eastern  lands,  are  the  humble 
missionaries  whom  you  have  sent  there  with  the 
key  of  knowledge  in  their  hands,  the  love  of 
Christ  in  their  hearts,  the  message  of  the  Gospel 
upon  their  lips,  and  the  destiny  of  souls  in  their 
keeping.  I  am  reminded  of  those  lines  of  James 
Russell  Lowell : 


THE  PRESENT  MESSAGE.  39 

"  O  Truth  !  O  Freedom  !  how  are  ye  still  born 
In  the  rude  stable,  in  the  manger  nurst ! 
What  humble  hands  unbar  those  gates  of  morn 

Through  which  the  splendors  of  the  New  Day  burst !  " 

Is  it  not  a  privilege  to  have  a  share  in  a  work 
like  this? — so  far-reaching  and  so  helpful  in  its 
influence  to  these  degraded  nations,  and  so  full 
of  hope  and  promise  to  these  misguided  souls. 

A  fourth  point  in  the  subject-matter  of  this 
message  of  Foreign  Missions  to  the  Church  brings 
to  our  attention  the  claims  of  duty.  Duty  is 
always  a  vigorous  and  forcible  word,  and  in  this 
connection  it  burns  and  throbs  with  a  living  en- 
ergy. It  has  the  power  of  divine  love  and  the 
weight  of  divine  authority  in  it.  It  is  a  word 
after  Christ's  own  heart,  and  He  has  spoken  it 
out  of  the  depths  of  His  incarnate  nature.  He 
means  it  for  our  own  sake,  as  well  as  for  the 
good  of  the  world.  There  are  many  who  are 
inclined  to  doubt  whether  there  is  any  obligation 
resting  upon  the  Church  of  Christ  to  publish  the 
Gospel  to  all  nations.  We  cannot  stop  to  discuss 
this  question.  If  the  command  of  Christ,  so  man- 
ifest and  so  explicit,  does  not  make  it  clear  to  the 
mind  of  the  Christian  believer,  then  I  despair  of 


40        FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

producing  conviction  by  any  arguments  that  may 
be  brought  forward.  I  can  conceive  of  a  pro- 
found and  elaborate  appeal  carefully  drawn  up 
in  behalf  of  Foreign  Missions,  based  upon  con- 
siderations of  expediency,  or  upon  the  claims  of 
humanity  and  universal  brotherhood,  or  the  duty 
of  helpful  service  to  others  in  a  spirit  of  benevo- 
lence and  philanthropic  generosity,  and  I  can  con- 
ceive of  that  argument  having  due  weight  with 
cultured  and  sympathetic  and  unselfish  natures ; 
but  I  would  not  trust  it  to  carry  the  day,  even 
with  the  Church  of  Christ,  if  we  did  not  have  His 
own  express  commands  and  His  glowing  prom- 
ises to  glorify  and  enforce  this  duty.  This  we 
have,  so  that  not  only  the  claim  of  brotherhood, 
and  the  obligation  of  stewardship,  and  the  debt 
of  Christian  love,  all  conspire  to  urge  the  Church 
to  this  world-wide  ministry,  but  Christ's  own  com- 
mand still  holds  its  supreme  place  among  His  last 
words,  and  still  exercises  its  powerful  influence 
over  the  Christian  heart.  What  the  Church  of 
Christ  needs  at  the  present  hour  is  a  higher  and  a 
tenderer  consciousness  of  her  duty  to  the  unen- 
lightened and  the  perishing.  The  great  need  of 
the  Church  is  not  a  new  theology,  nor  new  eccle- 


THE  PRESENT  MESSAGE.  41 

siastical  machinery,  nor  the  advanced  and  revolu- 
tionary theories  of  the  higher  critics ;  nor  even, 
in  my  judgment,  is  the  present  highest  need  of 
the  Church  a  revision  of  the  Confession  of  Faith, 
although  I  think  that  is  a  very  proper  thing  to 
do,  simply  in  the  interests  of  a  clearer  and  fuller 
expression  of  acknowledged  truth,  and  for  the 
removal  of  certain  apparent  infelicities  of  language 
from  that  venerable  document.  I  am  inclined  to 
question  very  much  also — perhaps  I  am  mistaken 
— whether  the  Church  is  in  very  serious  need  just 
now  of  the  ecclesiastical  miseries  and  the  doubtful 
advantages  of  trials  for  heresy,  even  though  they 
may  seem  to  many  to  be  both  justifiable  and 
necessary.  But,  dear  friends,  what  the  Church  of 
Christ  does  need  is  the  blessing  of  an  enlarged 
heart ;  a  deeper,  truer,  tenderer  yearning  for  the 
good  of  men ;  a  more  earnest  and  unselfish  de- 
votion to  the  Master's  service ;  a  more  winsome 
sympathy  with  those  who  suffer;  and  a  more 
self-denying  readiness  to  help  others  to  a  better  life. 
The  great  problem  of  the  Old  Testament  dis- 
pensation was  to  save  the  Church  from  formalism, 
and  to  train  her  in  spirituality  of  life  and  worship. 
The  great  problem  of  the  New  Testament  dispen- 


42        FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

sation  is  to  train  the  Church  in  Christian  living, 
in  Christhke  ministry,  and  in  consecrated  service 
for  the  good  of  the  world. 

The  fifth,  and  this  is  the  last  special  feature  of 
this  Message  of  Foreign  Missions  to  which  I  shall 
call  your  attention,  is  its  ringing  note  of  encour- 
agement. I  doubt  if  there  is  any  department  of 
Christian  activity  where  the  inspiration  of  encour- 
agement is  so  full  of  glow  and  magnetism  as  is  this 
message  from  the  foreign  fields.  What  blessed 
cheer  there  is  in  the  record  of  missionary  progress 
during  this  past  century !  As  we  survey  it,  we 
seem  to  be  walking  rather  by  sight  than  by  faith. 
It  has  in  it  more  of  solid  hope  for  the  world,  and 
more  of  tangible  contact  with  the  promises  of 
God,  than  anything  else  in  human  history.  I 
shall  have  occasion  later  on  to  refer  to  this  aspect 
of  our  subject  more  in  detail,  but  at  present  I 
must  take  it  for  granted  that  you  are  already 
familiar  with  the  magnificent  achievement  of  For- 
eign Missions  during  the  past  fifty  years,  and  I 
will  confine  my  remarks  at  the  present  time  to 
some  encouragements  which  are  connected  with 
the  results  of  the  past  year  or  two  in  our  mission 
fields. 


THE  PRESENT  MESSAGE.  43 

We  are  fully  justified  in  estimating  that  there 
were  slightly  over  100,000  conversions  in  the 
foreign  mission  fields  of  all  evangelical  Churches 
during  the  year  1892.  This,  you  will  notice,  is 
an  average  of  fully  2000  per  week.  Think  of  it, 
my  friends!  As  you  gathered  together  in  the 
House  of  God  from  Sabbath  to  Sabbath  during 
the  past  year,  to  render  your  thanks  to  your 
Heavenly  Father  for  His  blessings  and  His  boun- 
ties and  His  benefits  to  you  and  yours,  you  might 
have  added  another  note  of  thanksgiving  for  more 
than  2000  souls ;  a  number  that  would  pack  our 
largest  churches  to  their  very  doors,  gathering 
together  every  Sabbath  day  of  the  year,  literally 
out  of  every  tribe  and  tongue  and  people  and 
nation,  to  sit  down  together  for  the  first  time  to 
partake  of  the  communion  of  the  Lord's  Supper; 
and  I  will  venture  to  say  that  you  would  be  per- 
fectly safe  in  thanking  God  for  the  same  magnifi- 
cent result  for  every  Sabbath  of  this  present  year. 
And  now  let  us  look  at  some  of  the  results  re- 
ported for  the  year  1891  in  mission  fields  con- 
nected with  our  own  Presbyterian  Board  of  For- 
eign Missions. 

In  the  Tripoli  field  of  our  Syria  Mission  there 


44        FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

were  68  admitted  to  the  Church  during  the  year. 
Now  in  this  TripoH  field  there  are,  all  told,  men, 
women,  and  children,  about  looo  Protestant  souls. 
They  began  the  year  with  329  communicants,  and 
they  closed  with  397.  I  have  searched  through 
the  contemporary  published  records  of  the  Pres- 
byterian Church  in  the  United  States,  and  I  can 
find  only  14  churches  corresponding  in  size  to  the 
church  of  the  Tripoli  field  that  have  received  to 
the  communion  more  than  68  during  the  year. 

In  the  Presbytery  of  Shantung,  in  northern 
China,  in  1891  there  were  admitted  to  the  Church 
760  communicants.  Now,  I  have  taken  the  trou- 
ble to  compare  with  this  result  the  record  of  all 
the  presbyteries  of  the  United  States  for  the  cor- 
responding year,  and  I  find  only  9  presbyteries 
in  the  country  that  report  an  addition  of  over  760 
to  the  communion.  They  are  the  great  Presby- 
teries of  New  York,  Newark,  Philadelphia  and 
Philadelphia  Central  (since  united  into  one),  Lack- 
awanna, Pittsburg,  Steubenville,  Cincinnati,  and 
Chicago.  Why,  these  are  the  very  centers  of 
Presbyterian  influence  and  wealth  and  power  in 
all  our  land ;  and  the  full  force  of  this  compari- 
son does  not  appear  until  we  note  that  in  these 


THE  PRESENT  MESSAGE.  45 

American  presbyteries  there  is  an  average  (f  80 
ministers  to  each  presbytery — and  such  ministers, 
and  such  congregations !  — while  in  the  Presbytery 
of  Shantung  there  are  only  28  ministers,  and  6  of 
these  are  Chinamen.  This  is  an  average  of  27 
additions  to  each  minister. 

Then  there  is  that  little  Presbytery  of  Laos, 
away  off  in  the  depths  of  Asiatic  heathenism,  to 
the  north  of  Siam,  with  its  6  churches,  which 
in  1 89 1  admitted  to  the  communion  241  com- 
municants, and  in  1892  the  number  of  churches 
was  increased  to  8,  and  the  additions  were  299. 
Five  years  ago  there  were  4  churches,  10  elders, 
and  241  members  in  the  presbytery;  now  there 
are  8  churches,  26  elders,  and  1376  members. 
In  the  first  year  of  the  past  six  there  were  no 
additions  to  the  Church ;  in  the  second  year, 
129;  in  the  third,  180;  in  the  fourth,  190;  in 
the  fifth,  241  ;  and  in  the  sixth,  299.  This,  you 
will  notice,  is  more  than  40  members  added  to 
each  church  in  1891,  and  37  in  1892,  and  this 
makes  that  humble  foreign  mission  Presbytery  of 
Laos  the  banner  presbytery  of  the  whole  Presby- 
terian Church,  since  there  is  no  presbytery  upon 
record  that  gives  an  average  of  40  additions  to 


46        FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

each  church.  In  that  picked  nine  of  all  our 
American  presbyteries,  the  average  is  14  to  each 
minister.  It  is  stated  in  the  "  Narrative  of  the 
State  of  Religion,"  presented  to  the  Synod  of 
New  Jersey  in  the  year  1892,  that  *' in  the  per- 
centage of  additions  upon  profession  of  faith,  the 
Presbytery  of  Corisco  [connected  with  that  synod] 
forges  to  the  front.  The  Presbytery  of  Newark 
reports  that  the  average  accession  to  its  churches 
is  22,  while  in  the  entire  Synod  besides  it  is  12, 
and  in  the  Church  at  large  only  8  ;  but  in  the 
Presbytery  of  Corisco  the  additions  average  29." 

In  the  '*  Report  on  Foreign  Missions,"  pre- 
sented to  the  same  Synod,  occurs  the  following 
passage :  "  Our  own  Corisco  last  year,  within  its 
limited  territory,  added  thirty  per  cent.,  or  290, 
to  its  membership,  and  contributed  of  its  poverty 
$642  to  church  purposes." 

The  humble  mission  church  at  Batanga  in  the 
same  foreign  Presbytery  of  Corisco,  on  the  West 
Coast  of  Africa,  received  to  the  communion  81 
on  confession  in  1892.  It  would  be  the  twenty- 
fourth  on  the  list  of  our  7208  Presbyterian 
churches  if  ranked  with  reference  to  the  number 
added  on  profession  during  the  year  1891-92. 


THE  PRESENT  MESSAGE.  47 

Do  not  think  that  I  bring  forward  these  com- 
parative statistics  in  any  invidious  spirit.  It  is 
right  that  facts  like  these  should  be  noted.  They 
belong  to  the  Church  universal,  and  as  such 
should  be  welcome  to  all  who  love  our  Lord's 
kingdom.  They  are  facts  in  a  realm  where  God 
is  the  chief  actor,  and  testify  to  His  own  gracious 
energy.  It  is  only  when  we  compare  results  in 
the  foreign  field  with  corresponding  results  in  the 
home  field  that  many  minds  succeed  in  recogniz- 
ing the  significance  of  the  facts  and  are  prepared 
to  acknowledge  that  results  in  the  foreign  field 
are  worthy  of  attention.  Notice,  also,  that  these 
statistics  that  I  have  brought  to  your  attention 
are  not  old  and  worn-out  facts  that  have  been 
made  to  do  duty  in  foreign  mission  addresses  and 
sermons  for  the  past  ten  years ;  they  are  new  and 
fresh ;  they  come  to  us  with  our  Columbian  year ; 
they  represent  what  God  is  doing  at  the  present 
time  through  foreign  mission  effort  among  the 
nations  of  the  earth ;  they  have  the  very  power 
of  the  Spirit's  breath  still  lingering  about  them ; 
they  are  the  new  Columbian  coins  from  the  mis- 
sionary mint,  stamped  freshly  with  the  majestic 
insignia  of  the  Spirit's  own  personality. 


48        FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

A  few  months  ago  I  had  occasion  to  go  up  into 
central  New  York,  and  I  took  the  Empire  State 
Express  from  the  Grand  Central  Depot  in  New 
York  City — that  famous  train,  which  is  said  to  be 
the  fastest  in  the  world.  At  a  certain  point  in 
my  journey  I  glanced  through  the  window,  and 
saw,  over  on  the  parallel  West  Shore  Road,  a 
heavy  freight  train  slowly  making  its  way  along 
an  up-grade,  with  its  engine  puffing  and  tugging 
with  all  its  might  at  the  long  line  of  heavy  cars 
which  made  up  the  train.  Of  course  the  splen- 
did Empire  State  Express  soon  left  that  lagging 
freight  train  far  in  the  rear.  But  suppose,  my 
friends,  it  had  been  otherwise,  and  that  great, 
heavy  freight  train,  with  its  immense  weight  of 
inertia  upon  an  up-grade,  had  suddenly  forged 
ahead  with  a  mighty  momentum,  and  leaped  over 
the  rails  at  such  a  tremendous  speed  that  it  soon 
left  the  magnificent  express  far  in  the  rear.  What 
would  you  have  said  in  that  case?  Why,  you 
would  have  said,  with  assurance,  that  somehow 
or  somewhere  there  was  power  over  there — power 
to  overcome  inertia,  and  to  conquer  difficulties, 
and  to  transcend  ordinary  laws  by  some  mysteri- 
ous and  surpassing  force.     Now,  this  is  just  what 


THE  PRESENT  MESSAGE.  49 

is  exemplified  in  these  recent  missionary  statis- 
tics of  our  foreign  fields.  There  is  power  in  them: 
the  power  of  God,  the  power  of  the  divine  Spir- 
it, the  power  to  regenerate  the  soul,  the  power 
which  will  eventually  secure  the  long-promised 
triumphs  of  the  Church,  and  win  this  lost  world 
for  Christ. 

Let  us  believe,  then,  in  Foreign  Missions,  and 
give  them  our  confidence  and  support.  They 
have  been  vindicated  by  history ;  they  are  the 
embodiment  of  a  divine  purpose ;  and  they  have 
been  endorsed  by  a  divine  blessing.  They  are 
vindicated  by  history,  for  we  are  all  in  the  last 
analysis  children  of  missionary  effort ;  our  ances- 
tors were  converted  to  Christ  through  missionary 
agencies,  and  we  have  inherited  from  them  the 
blessings  of  the  Gospel.  They  are  an  embodiment 
of  a  divine  purpose,  for  Christ  our  Lord  meant 
foreign  missions  when,  eighteen  hundred  years 
ago.  He  said,  '*  Go  ye  into  all  the  world  and  preach 
the  Gospel  to  every  creature."  Notice  where 
Christ  was  when  He  uttered  that  command.  He 
was  in  Palestine.  And  what  did  He  mean,  there- 
fore, by  **  all  the  world"?  He  meant  the  world 
outside   of    Palestine ;     He    meant    the    outlying 


50        FOfiElGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

Roman  Empire ;  He  meant  Asia,  Africa,  and 
Europe ;  and,  in  His  knowledge  of  the  coming 
centuries,  I  believe  He  meant  America  too,  just 
as  much  as  if  He  had  said,  "  Go  ye  into  all  the 
world,  including  distant  America  when  the  day 
of  her  historic  appearing  shall  come."  Therefore, 
from  the  standpoint  of  Christ  when  He  uttered 
this  text,  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel  here  in 
America  comes  under  the  head  of  what  we  might 
call  foreign  mission  work.  It  was  foreign  to  the 
standpoint  of  Christ  when  He  uttered  this  word 
of  command. 

Do  not  allow  your  minds,  however,  to  become 
entangled  in  that  distinction  which  we  are  accus- 
tomed to  make  between  home  and  foreign  mis- 
sions. Too  much  is  made  of  that  distinction  in 
the  Church.  It  is  all  well  enough  and  proper 
enough,  if  we  understand  just  what  is  meant  by 
it.  It  is,  after  all,  only  a  geographical  and  ad- 
ministrative discrimination;  it  is  of  the  earth, 
earthy,  and  has  no  place  in  the  vocabulary  of 
heaven.  We  have  no  such  distinction  as  a  home 
Bible  and  a  foreign  Bible,  a  home  atonement  and 
a  foreign  atonement,  a  home  Gospel  and  a  for- 
eign Gospel,  a  home  Christ  and  a  foreign  Christ. 


THE  PRESENT  MESSAGE.  51 

The  great  word  here  is  missions,  home  and 
foreign  if  you  will,  but  missions :  missions  to  the 
north  and  missions  to  the  south,  missions  to  the 
east  and  missions  to  the  west.  We  read  in  our 
New  Testament  that  **  one  day  is  as  a  thousand 
years,  and  a  thousand  years  as  one  day,"  with 
God.  Now  if  this  is  true  of  time,  is  it  not  also 
true  of  space  ?  And  so  one  mile  is  as  a  thousand 
leagues,  and  a  thousand  leagues  as  one  mile,  in 
God's  sight ;  and  there  is  no  near  and  no  far,  but 
just  one  round  world  of  lost  and  perishing  souls 
to  be  rescued  and  saved  through  the  world's 
Christ. 


LECTURE  II. 

THE    PRESENT-DAY    MEANING   OF  THE 
MACEDONIAN  VISION. 


53 


EXTRACT  FROM  A  LETTER  FROM  CHINA. 

*'This  is  afield  which  I  never  before  half  appreciated.  It  is 
amazing;  it  almost  passes  belief  Ahimbers  of  cities  there  are  yet 
within  the  oldest  field — cities  of  from  "j^^ooo  to  300,000  popula- 
tion— in  which  there  is  not  one  Christian  missionary  or  laborer  of 
any  najue,  or  in  which  there  is  to  be  found  only  one  native  helper, 
lonely  and  feeble.  In  truth,  the  mighty  cities  of  Nanking  (with 
nearly  a  million  souls)  a7id  Soochow  and  Hangchozv  (with  half  a 
million  in  each),  and  the  densely  peopled  silk  districts  south  and 
west  of  them,  have  only  been  touched  as  yet  by  the  Church  with  the 
tips  of  her  fingers.  All  the  missionaries  in  that  region  co?nbined 
are  little  tnoi'e  than  a  mockery  of  its  needs.  And  I  am  not  7-ef er- 
ring, you  notice,  to  the  far-off  reaches  of  the  Yang-tse,  with  its 
twenty  fnillions,  nor  to  the  colossal  western  provinces.  The  sec- 
tion to  which  I  allude  is  perfectly  accessible  and  near  at  hand. 
From  Hangchow  to  Shanghai,  one  of  the  longest  routes,  I  trav- 
eled in  much  less  than  twetity-four  hours  in  a  little  steam-launch, 
by  continuous  canals.  I  was  absolutely  awe-struck  and  dumb  as 
I  steamed,  even  on  that  short  sail,  past  city  after  city,  great  and 
populous,  one  of  which  was  a  walled  city  of  300,000  souls,  without 
one  missionary  of  any  Christian  denomination  whatever,  and 
without  so  much  as  a  native  Christian  helper  or  teacher  of  any 
kind.  That  silent  moonlight  night,  as  I  passed  utmoticed  by  those 
long,  dark  battle??ients,  shutting  in  their  pagan  multitudes,  was 
one  of  the  most  sole??in  of  my  life;  and  the  hours  of  daylight, 
when  other  cities,  still  larger  than  many  of  our  American  capitals, 
were  continually  coining  into  view,  and  the  teerning  populations 
of  the  canals  and  rivers  and  villages  and  fields  and  roads  were 
before  my  eyes^  kept  adding  to  the  burden  of  the  night.'''' 

Rev.  Arthur  Mitchell,  D.D. 


54 


II. 


THE    PRESENT-DAY  MEANING    OF  THE    MACE- 
DONIAN  VISION. 

Paul  was  upon  one  of  his  missionary  journeys, 
preaching  and  teaching  the  Gospel  of  his  Lord. 
He  came  to  Mysia,  and  essayed  to  go  into  Bithyn- 
ia,  but  the  Spirit  suffered  him  not,  and  when  he 
came  to  Troas  God  gave  him  a  vision  and  a  call. 
A  man  of  Macedonia  appeared  to  him,  saying, 
"  Come  over  into  Macedonia  and  help  us."     This 
strange  messenger  from  across  the  ^gean  was  to 
Paul  a  foreigner ;   he  was  a  man  of  Europe,  an- 
other continent  from  Paul's  native  Asia.     It  was, 
therefore,  a  call  to  foreign  mission  work,  and,  as 
such,  was  typical  and  prophetic  of  many  a  call  to 
the  Church  of  Christ  coming  from  substantially 
the  same  source.     A  man  of  Macedonia,  so  the 
narrative  states  in  fidelity  to  the  history  and  ge- 
ography of  the  times ;   a  messenger  from  heaven, 
so  the  Church  interprets  in  the  light  of  Christ's 

55 


56        FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

great  commission  and  the  highest  duty  of  His 
followers.  Like  many  of  the  incidents  of  Script- 
ure, that  vision  has  a  twofold  significance :  it  has, 
on  the  one  hand,  a  meaning  which  was  local  and 
practical  and  personal,  pertaining  to  Paul  and  the 
work  which  he  was  called  to  do  for  his  Master; 
on  the  other  hand,  it  has  a  meaning  which  is  typ- 
ical and  universal,  and  has  a  permanent  applica- 
tion in  the  larger  sphere  of  Church  history  and 
practical  Christianity.  It  was  a  personal  vision 
and  a  personal  call  to  Paul.  It  was  also  suggest- 
ive and  typical  of  a  permanent  call,  just  as  real 
and  direct,  to  the  Church  in  all  ages  to  discharge 
the  duty  of  missionary  service  wherever  similar 
conditions  existed.  That  message  to  ''  come  over 
and  help  us  "  was  not  for  Paul  alone,  and  it  is  not 
merely  a  reminiscence  of  his  own  personal  expe- 
rience ;  it  was  a  picturesque,  vivid,  ever-living 
personification  of  a  perpetual  call  of  duty ;  it 
sketched  forever  in  bold,  clear  outline  upon  the 
pages  of  revelation  an  immortal  object-lesson  in 
living  Christianity.  Its  significance  has  received 
scant  recognition  in  the  history  of  the  Church. 
There  is  still  much  to  be  learned  by  the  average 
Christianity  of  our  day,  in  its  attitude  to  Foreign 


THE  PRESENT  VISION.  57 

Missions,  from  a  study  of  Paul's  reception  and 
prompt  response  to  that  vision.  It  came  to  him, 
let  us  notice,  while  absorbed  in  earnest  labors  for 
the  churches  of  his  native  land.  Perhaps  he  did 
not  himself  at  that  time  fully  comprehend  the 
urgency  of  a  wider  extension  of  his  evangelistic 
labors.  Perhaps  he  did  not  fully  understand  that 
the  Gospel  was  to  be  preached  to  nations  outside 
the  bounds  of  Asia.  Perhaps  he  fain  would  have 
lingered  in  Asia — dear  old  Asia — where  the  Lord 
was  born,  where  He  lived  and  taught  and  died, 
where  the  very  ground  was  hallowed  by  His 
earthly  presence  and  His  deeds  of  love  and  power ; 
Asia,  which  was  bright  with  the  memories  of 
Pentecost,  and  was  the  scene  of  apostolic  labors ; 
where  the  disciples  were  first  called  Christians ; 
where  the  Christian  Church  was  already  estab- 
lished ;  where  truth  had  its  home ;  where  was 
centered  all  the  spiritual  culture  and  light  which 
was  worth  cherishing  in  the  world ;  and  where 
there  was  "so  much  to  be  done"  to  keep  the 
Church  alive  and  prevent  her  from  going  back  to 
heathenism.  Is  it  possible,  he  might  have  said, 
that  I  have  any  duty  to  Europe  when  Asia  needs 
me  so  much?     Ah,  do  you  not  think  that  it  was 


58        FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

just  because  Europe  was  In  darkness  and  spiritual 
degradation,  and  needed  the  Gospel  so  sorely, 
that  God  sent  that  man  of  Macedonia  with  his  call 
to  "  come  over  and  help  us  "  ?  Now,  let  us  can- 
didly inquire,  has  the  Church  to-day  anything  in 
her  environment,  or  in  her  spiritual  consciousness, 
which  is  the  counterpart  to  her  of  that  vision  of 
Paul  on  the  shores  of  the  ^gean?  Has  that 
Macedonian  cry  forever  died  away  upon  the  ears 
of  the  Christian  Church  ?  Has  it  not  rather  mul- 
tiplied, until  it  has  become  a  many-voiced  and 
tumultuous  cry  in  our  day?  Does  it  not  come 
over  every  sea  like  the  *'  voice  of  many  waters," 
in  its  majesty  and  hallowed  pathos?  It  is  not  a 
man  of  Macedonia  alone  who  speaks ;  it  is  a  man 
of  Japan,  a  man  of  China,  a  man  of  India,  a  man 
of  Syria  and  Persia  and  Africa ;  his  face  is  a  com- 
posite photograph  of  every  race  under  heaven ;  it 
is  a  man  of  many  nationalities,  widely  scattered, 
and  all  practically  in  a  state  of  moral  ignorance 
and  spiritual  need,  corresponding  in  all  respects  to 
the  condition  of  Macedonia  in  the  days  of  Paul. 

To  this  statement  some  one  may  reply  that  this 
representation  is  too  ideal,  and  it  requires  too 
severe  a  tax  upon  the  imagination  to  accept  it. 


THE  PRESENT  VISION.  59 

If  we  had  an  actual  vision,  supernatural  in  its 
character,  such  as  Paul  had,  and  a  direct  personal 
call  of  duty,  with  our  sphere  of  labor  clearly  in- 
dicated, we  should  know  how  to  respond  to  it. 
But  can  the  Church  truly  claim,  or  can  any  sincere 
follower  of  Christ  truthfully  maintain,  that  there 
is  absolutely  no  vision  vouchsafed  in  this  our  day  ? 
Have  we  not  something  which  corresponds  in 
every  essential  to  that  vision  of  Paul?  As  we 
look  back  through  the  mists  of  the  centuries,  not 
into  any  dreamland  of  fiction  and  romance,  but  to 
the  historic  certainties  of  our  Saviour's  life,  can 
we  not  see  in  clear  outline  a  vision  of  that  face 
which  is  the  Light  of  the  World,  and  hear  Him 
say,  ''  Go  ye  into  all  the  world  and  preach  the 
"  Gospel  to  every  creature  "  ?  Is  not  this  a  vision 
which  infinitely  transcends  in  its  dignity  and  im- 
pressiveness  the  one  which  was  given  to  Paul? 
It  is  not  a  man  of  Macedonia  that  we  see ;  it  is 
the  Son  of  Man.  He  speaks  on  behalf  of  human- 
ity. He  belongs  to  the  race  and  cannot  be  claimed 
by  any  one  nationality,  or  be  identified  with  any 
single  age.  He  stands  before  the  eyes  of  all  gen- 
erations. He  is  not  calling,  He  is  commanding. 
He  speaks  at  once  to  all  ages  of  history.     He 


6o        FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

touches  alike  with  His  personal  influence  and 
authority  every  century  of  passing  time.  Have 
we,  in  this  our  generation,  in  this  nineteenth  cent- 
ury, eyes  of  faith  to  see  Him,  and  ears  to  hear 
Him,  and  hearts  to  obey  Him? 

It  may  be  said  that  this  vision  is  entirely  ideal 
and  can  only  be  discovered  by  the  aid  of  a  most 
imaginative  faith.  It  may  be  further  said  that  the 
call  to  ''  come  over  and  help  us,"  which  Paul  rec- 
ognized as  coming  directly  from  Macedonia,  is  in 
the  case  of  our  ideal  Macedonian  vision  so  vague, 
so  confused,  so  scattered,  and  so  unreal,  that  it 
can  have  little  practical  power  over  the  conscience. 
We  submit,  however,  that  there  is  a  reality  in  this 
picture  which  entirely  eclipses  and  transcends  its 
ideality.  Christ  is  real ;  His  command  to  go  dis- 
ciple all  nations  is  real ;  the  existing  needs  of  the 
world  are  real.  In  truth,  our  ideal  picture  is  more 
real,  and  has  in  it  more  of  the  permanent  and 
substantial  and  incontrovertible  power  and  press- 
ure of  existing  facts  than  that  vision  of  Paul  itself. 
In  the  one  there  is  simply  a  shadowy  man  of  Mace- 
donia ;  in  the  other  there  is  the  ever-living  Son  of 
God,  In  the  one  there  is  a  voice  from  the  realm  of 
dreams ;   in  the  other  there  is  a  command  which 


THE  PRESENT  VISION.  6 1 

has  in  it  the  authority  of  heaven,  and  transcends  in 
its  reahty  all  limitations  of  time  and  space.  In  the 
one  there  is  reference  only  to  one  geographical 
locality,  and  the  needs  which  are  represented  by 
it ;  in  the  other  there  is  a  mighty  cry  of  world- 
wide need,  which  has  in  it  all  the  urgency  of  that 
Macedonian  appeal  intensified  a  thousandfold.  If 
God  thought  it  worth  while  to  voice  that  one  ap- 
peal of  Macedonia  in  the  ears  of  Paul,  is  it  not 
absolutely  certain  that  He  regards  the  appeal  of 
a  dying  world,  in  its  cumulative  volume  and  ite 
rising  intensity,  worth  voicing  in  the  ears  of  the 
Christian  Church  in  this  favored  age  of  her  pros- 
perity and  power,  with  all  the  magnificent  re- 
sources of  Christendom  ready  at  hand,  and  with 
the  Spirit  of  God  waiting  to  cooperate  with  grace 
from  on  high? 

The  conclusion  we  reach,  then,  is  that  there  is 
a  higher  than  a  Macedonian  vision  before  the  eyes 
of  the  Church  to-day,  and  a  louder  than  a  Mace- 
donian call  sounding  in  her  ears — a  call  which  is 
even  more  emphatic,  more  urgent,  more  incon- 
trovertible, and  more  directly  authoritative  than 
that  addressed  to  Paul.  If  you  are  not  convinced 
of  this,  let  me  ask  you  to  sit  down  and  deliber- 


62        FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

ately  undertake  to  prove  from  the  standpoint  of 
Christian  faith,  by  the  use  of  fair  and  candid  argu- 
ments, that  this  vision  and  this  call  of  to-day  do 
not  exist.  If  I  am  not  mistaken,  the  effort  will 
only  confirm  you  in  the  conviction  that  there  is 
a  profound  reality  and  a  sublime  authority  in  the 
missionary  obligation  of  to-day.  I  am  sure  any 
loyal  follower  of  the  Master  would  arise  from  such 
a  study  with  a  call  of  unmistakable  clearness  and 
power  ringing  in  his  ears.  It  was  Christ,  after  all, 
who  spoke  to  Paul  in  the  person  of  that  Mace- 
donian caller ;  so  it  is  Christ  Himself  who  speaks 
to  us  in  the  call  of  to-day.  He  not  only  calls  but 
He  commands ;  He  not  only  commands  but  He 
calls, 

I  purpose  now  to  try  and  give  a  certain  veri- 
similitude to  these  thoughts,  by  endeavoring  to 
voice  in  your  hearing  some  of  these  Macedonian 
appeals  of  to-day,  and  I  purpose  to  consider  them 
as  addressed  to  us  personally,  as  the  disciples  of 
the  living  Lord,  in  whose  name  they  come,  and 
who  gives  them  their  authority.  To  whom  are 
they  addressed,  if  not  to  the  followers  and  servants 
of  Him  who  died  for  the  world?  They  cannot 
be  considered  as  addressed  to  the  heathen  them- 


THE  PRESENT  VISION.  63 

selves,  or  to  sceptics  and  infidels  and  men  of  the 
world.  They  are,  then,  addressed  to  us,  as  assur- 
edly as  if  they  were  in  the  form  of  a  direct  personal 
appeal  to  each  heart.  These  messages  I  believe 
to  be  real  and  genuine,  not  fictitious  or  imagina- 
tive ;  they  are  weighty  with  high  authority,  and 
have  behind  them  that  noble  and  regnant  person- 
ality before  which  we  all  bow.  I  have  not  manu- 
factured these  messages ;  I  simply  transmit  them. 
Let  us  hear  them : 

Here  is,  as  it  were,  a  telegram  from  distant 
Japan.  What  is  the  purport  of  the  message? 
It  is  supposed  to  come  to  us  from  Japan  itself, 
and  is  signed  and  sealed  by  Japanese,  whose  ap- 
peal it  voices.     This  is  what  they  say  to  us : 

We  are  a  nation  which  has  come  to  the  front 
within  a  generation.  Our  traditions  indicate  that 
we  are  of  Mongolian  extraction  and  came  from 
the  mainland  of  Asia  at  a  remote  date  before  the 
Christian  era.  Our  historical  records  are  volu- 
minous :  one  single  work  upon  Japanese  history 
extends  to  over  a  hundred  volumes.  Our  govern- 
ment is  the  oldest  on  the  face  of  the  earth :  our 
present    emperor   belongs  to  a  reigning    family 


64        FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

which  has  occupied  the  throne  for  twenty- four 
centuries;  he  is  the  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
second  in  a  direct  line  of  sovereigns.  From  the 
sixth  century  before  Christ  until  the  year  1 142 
after  Christ  Japan  was  ruled  by  one  emperor  at  a 
time.  A  military  revolution  at  that  date  resulted 
in  a  dual  supremacy  of  a  spiritual  and  a  civil  ruler, 
named  respectively  the  Mikado  and  the  Tycoon. 
Our  Mikado  was  but  the  invisible  phantom  of  a 
ruler,  living  in  absolute  seclusion,  while  the  Ty- 
coon was  our  executive  and  visible  sovereign.  In 
1868  this  dual  sovereignty  came  to  an  end  in  a 
revolution  which  brought  the  Mikado  to  the  throne 
as  sole  ruler  of  Japan,  and  gave  him  both  his  spir- 
itual and  his  temporal  supremacy.  Since  then  a 
series  of  silent  and  wonderful  revolutions  have 
brought  us  in  1890  to  representative  government 
lodged  in  an  Imperial  ParHament,  and  a  Cabinet 
under  constitutional  restrictions.  An  absolute 
monarchy  has  passed,  through  a  miraculous  evo- 
lution, into  a  representative  system.  Our  people 
have  arisen  from  practical  serfdom  to  the  franchise 
by  a  somewhat  turbulent  but  bloodless  revolution 
such  as  has  never  been  known  in  the  history  of 
the  world.     Liberty  has  been  born  among  us  al- 


THE  PRESENT  VISION.  65 

most  without  a  pang ;  our  rights  as  citizens  have 
been  guaranteed  and  secured  with  hardly  a  strug- 
gle, and  as  a  nation  we  are  a  child  of  this  nine- 
teenth century,  freeborn  to  its  light  and  privilege. 
To  be  sure,  our  statesmanship  is  unsteady  and  our 
political  life  full  of  surprises,  and  constitutional 
government  is  yet  in  the  region  of  experiment; 
we  are,  however,  in  the  school  of  experience,  and 
we  hope  that  we  shall  prove  apt  pupils.  Our 
population  is  forty  millions ;  our  country  extends 
from  north  to  south  for  a  distance  equal  to  that 
between  St.  Paul  and  New  Orleans,  and  east  and 
west  as  far  as  Denver  from  New  York ;  and  in 
size  we  are  about  nineteen  times  as  large  as  Mas- 
sachusetts. We  are  in  some  respects  exceptional 
specimens  of  Orientals,  with  peculiar  virtues  and 
marked  faults.  We  are  cleanly,  courteous,  kind- 
hearted,  industrious,  honorable,  and  intensely  pa- 
triotic. Our  chief  defects  come  under  the  head  of 
impurity,  drunkenness,  and  untruthfulness,  while 
few  of  us  are  altogether  free  from  debt.  Our 
land  is  picturesque  and  beautiful  in  its  scenery, 
full  of  natural  charms,  brilliant  with  flowers,  and 
sparkles  with  running  water.  It  is,  alas,  in  a 
constant  tremor,  which  often  develops  into  terrible 


66        FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

earthquakes.  We  occupy  a  front  rank  among 
Oriental  nations  in  the  arts  and  sciences  and  the 
pursuit  of  Hterature.  We  prophesy  that  in  the 
future  one  of  the  dreams  of  your  own  lovers  of 
artistic  beauty  and  intellectual  research  will  be  a 
sojourn  in  Japan. 

Our  religions  have  been  Shintoism,  a  system 
of  mystical  nature- worship  combined  with  relig- 
ious reverence  for  national  heroes,  and  Buddhism, 
which  with  us  is  especially  atheistic,  idolatrous, 
and  low  in  its  moral  standards,  so  much  so  that 
we  teach  the  Confucian  system  of  morals  to  our 
children.  The  famous  Jesuit,  Francis  Xavier,  with 
his  companions,  brought  Roman  Catholicism  to 
Japan  in  1549,  but  Papal  Christianity  was  repelled, 
and  in  less  than  a  hundred  years  had  disappeared 
from  our  country.  With  the  opening  of  our 
country  to  intercourse  with  foreign  nations,  in 
1856,  by  the  expedition  of  Commodore  Perry,  a 
new  era  began.  The  changes,  political,  social, 
commercial,  educational,  literary,  and  religious, 
which  have  come  since  then  have  been  unprece- 
dented in  the  history  of  any  other  nation.  Twenty 
years  ago  Japan  had  never  issued  a  newspaper. 
In  Tokyo  to-day   there  are    1 7   dailies  with  an 


THE  PRESENT  VISION.  S'J 

issue  of  over  46,000,000  copies  annually,  and 
there  are  700  periodicals  in  the  empire.  Ele- 
mentary education  here  is  compulsory.  There 
are  34,101  elementary  schools  and  over  3,000,000 
pupils.  An  Imperial  Edict,  issued  some  years 
ago,  sounds  the  note  of  progress  upon  this  line, 
which  is  to-day  ringing  through  Japan,  in  the  fol- 
lowing significant  sentence :  *'  It  is  intended  that 
henceforth  education  shall  be  so  diffused  that 
there  may  not  be  a  village  with  an  ignorant  family, 
nor  a  family  with  an  ignorant  member." 

The  one  change,  however,  which  in  its  signifi- 
cance transcends  them  all,  has  been  the  entrance 
of  evangelical  Christianity.  As  we  read  history 
we  see  a  great  gulf  fixed  between  heathen  and 
Christian  nations.  We  find  that  heathenism  has 
never  saved  a  nation  and  that  Christianity  has 
never  ruined  one,  and  we  find  that  heathenism 
never  gives  way  and  loosens  its  grip  upon  a  peo- 
ple except  the  Gospel  of  Christ  finds  an  entrance. 
Japan  is  anxious  for  light  and  guidance  in  this 
supreme  matter  of  religion.  She  is  one  great 
interrogation  point  as  she  looks  toward  Christen- 
dom. We  find  much  that  seems  to  be  conflicting 
and  uncertain  in  the  religious  and  philosophical 


6S        FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

thought  of  western  nations.  InfideHty,  material- 
ism, unscriptural  views  of  God  and  His  relation 
to  the  universe,  conflicting  opinions  upon  some  of 
the  essential  doctrines  of  revelation,  and  widely 
different  systems  of  Church  organization — all  seem 
to  be  bidding  for  our  allegiance.  Huxley  is  here, 
and  Spencer;  the  Unitarians  are  here,  and  the 
Papists,  and  the  Greeks,  and  we  seem  to  be  in 
a  place  where  many  currents  of  thought  surge 
against  one  another.  Religious  and  philosophical 
discussions  fill  the  air,  and  we  often  meet  together 
in  public  places  to  consider  these  great  themes  for 
many  hours  at  a  time.  We  need  a  calm,  strong, 
patient  campaign  on  the  part  of  the  advocates  of 
a  pure  evangelical  Christianity  in  the  interest  of 
Scriptural  truth.  We  need  the  visits  of  your  best 
Christian  teachers,  men  of  intellectual  vigor  and 
large,  clear  views  of  truth  (as  Professor  Ladd,  of 
Yale  University,  who  has  recently  been  here), 
who  will  guide  us  and  help  us  in  these  high 
themes.  We  need  Christian  journalism  and  the 
best  religious  literature  of  the  age.  We  want 
your  best  facilities  in  education  and  your  latest 
devices  for  University  Extension,  such  as  Sum- 
mer  Schools    of   philosophy   and  theology,   and 


THE  PRESENT  VISION.  69 

Chautauquan  organizations,  and  Northfield  con- 
ferences. Our  best  young  men  are  being  trained 
largely  under  missionary  auspices.  We  are  form- 
ing our  creeds,  and  organizing  our  churches,  and 
shaping  our  ecclesiastical  future,  as  you  already 
see  it  coming  to  the  front,  in  what  we  call  the 
Church  of  Christ  in  Japan,  which  has  recently 
applied  for  admission  to  the  Alliance  of  the 
Eeformed  Churches  Holding  the  Presbyterian 
System.  Our  young  men  are  demonstrating  their 
ability  to  take  their  places  as  the  leaders  and  con- 
trollers of  the  great  institutions  that  are  growing 
so  rapidly  among  us.  The  lamented  Neesima 
was  the  president  of  the  Doshisha  University,  and 
Kozaki  is  his  successor.  Ibuka  is  the  president 
of  the  Meiji  Gakuin.  Our  churches  are  almost 
entirely  in  the  hands  of  native  pastors.  We  are 
independent  and  ambitious,  and  often  inclined  to 
cry,  "Japan  for  the  Japanese,"  but  we  know  the 
worth  of  friends,  and  in  our  sober  moments  we 
know  we  cannot  spare  you  yet.  We  claim  liberty 
of  thought,  but  our  strong  desire  is  to  base  all 
our  opinions  and  all  our  organized  rehgious  life 
upon  the  Word  of  God,  and  to  draw  our  inspira- 
tion from  the  pure  Gospel  of  Christ. 


70        FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

The  record  of  Christian  missions  in  Japan  is  the 
marvel  of  modern  Church  history.  Your  mission- 
aries came  among  us  in  1859.  After  five  years  of 
labor  God  gave  them  one  convert;  after  twelve 
years  there  were  ten.  The  first  evangelical  Church 
was  organized  in  1872,  and  consisted  of  eleven 
members.  In  1892  we  report  twenty-seven  evan- 
gelical societies  doing  mission  work  in  our  country. 
There  are,  including  ladies,  604  foreign  missionaries 
here ;  there  are  365  churches,  and  a  total  adult 
membership  of  35,534,  of  whom  3,718  were  admit- 
ted in  1 89 1,  and  3,731  in  1892.  We  have  233  native 
ordained  ministers  and  359  theological  students, 
besides  460  unordained  preachers  and  helpers. 
Our  native  contributions  in  1891  for  the  support 
of  the  Gospel  amounted  to  $50,000.  Our  relig- 
ious statistics  change  so  rapidly  that  although 
they  may  be  sent  to  America  by  the  swiftest 
steamers  that  cross  the  seas,  they  grow  old  and 
out  of  date  before  they  touch  your  shores.  In 
1868  Yokoi  Heishiro  was  assassinated  in  Kyoto 
as  a  martyr  to  his  Christian  faith ;  now  the  Do- 
shisha  is  located  there,  with  its  522  students,  and 
the  martyr's  son  is  preaching  the  Gospel  in  Tokyo, 
where  there  are  92  churches  and  chapels,  6000 


THE  PRESENT  VISION.  71 

communicants,  25,000  Christians,  and  10,000  stu- 
dents in  higher  educational  institutions,  besides 
30,000  pupils  in  schools.  The  Bible  was  given 
to  us  in  Japanese  by  your  missionaries  in  1888, 
and  its  circulation,  either  entire  or  in  portions, 
amounted  to  57,894  copies  in  1891. 

Do  not  think,  however,  that  this  astonishing 
progress  of  Christianity  among  us  has  been 
without  its  struggles,  surprises,  and  reactions. 
We  have  yet  a  stupendous  conflict  before  us, 
and  amidst  the  intellectual  unrest,  the  politi- 
cal uncertainty,  and  the  unparalleled  spiritual 
opportunities  of  our  age,  we  need  your  help  at 
the  present  time  in  advancing  the  interests  of 
evangelical  religion  among  us.  Is  not  our  land 
an  inviting  field  for  the  Church  of  Christ,  if  she 
has  the  heart  and  purpose  to  win  a  nation  for  her 
Master?  If  the  Church  of  Christ  will  take  ad- 
vantage of  this  extraordinary  opportunity,  we  can 
safely  pledge  Japan  to  be  the  grandest  trophy  of 
modern  missions,  and  we  can  prophesy  that  we 
shall  be  in  God's  hands  a  chosen  instrument  for  a 
wide  and  fruitful  missionary  service  throughout 
all  eastern  Asia.  We  are  sure  to  be  the  leading 
Christian  nation  of  the  Orient,  if  we  read  our  des- 


72        FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

tiny  aright.  Already  China  is  sending  her  young 
men  to  our  universities,  and  our  Japanese  churches 
are  planning  their  foreign  missions.  Take  posses- 
sion of  our  land  in  the  name  of  Christ,  and  you 
have  the  key  to  the  Orient.  Come  over  and  help 
Japan. 

Swiftly  following  this  telegram  from  Japan 
comes  a  winged  message  from  KOREA.  This 
is  its  purport : 

We  are,  like  the  Japanese,  of  Mongolian  origin. 
Our  compact  little  kingdom  is  in  area  about  the 
size  of  Italy,  with  a  population  of  12,000,000. 
Our  king  is  an  absolute  monarch,  paying  tribute 
as  a  nominal  vassal  to  the  Emperor  of  China.  We 
are  a  homogeneous  people,  and  our  ethnic  pecul- 
iarities correspond  to  our  geographical  situation, 
something  between  the  Chinese  and  the  Japanese. 
We  have  always  been  exclusive,  and  have  hidden 
ourselves  away  from  the  great  world,  so  much  so 
that  we  have  been  called  the  ''  Hermit  Nation." 
Our  country  is  picturesque  and  mountainous ;  the 
soil  is  fertile,  and  there  is  immense  wealth  in  our 
mineral  resources.  Our  language  is  unique,  being 
more  flexible  than  the  Japanese  and  less  cumber- 


THE  PRESENT  VISION.  73 

some  than  the  Chinese.  Although  not  the  spoken 
language  of  the  country,  Chinese  is  the  language 
of  the  court  and  of  scholarship.  Our  present 
ruler,  although  an  absolute  sovereign,  acknowl- 
edges the  Hmitations  of  a  written  constitution,  but 
in  practical  matters  his  power  is  supreme.  The 
government  is  independent,  except  that  China 
claims  the  right  of  supervision  in  our  foreign 
policy,  but  we  are  surrounded  by  three  nations, 
China,  Russia,  and  Japan,  any  one  of  which  would 
be  glad  to  rule  over  us.  In  the  fourth  century  of 
the  Christian  era  Buddhism  was  introduced  by 
missionaries  from  China.  It  was  afterward  sup- 
planted by  Confucianism,  which  is  now  more  than 
any  other  the  professed  faith  of  the  upper  and 
middle  classes,  while  but  a  remnant  of  Buddhism 
is  left  in  the  land.  About  a  century  ago  Roman 
Catholicism  was  introduced,  and  in  the  absence 
of  any  earnest  religious  faith  among  us,  it  seemed 
to  take  root  and  gain  headway,  but  was  opposed 
by  bitter  persecutions  in  which  multitudes  were 
martyred.  One  of  these  bloody  scenes  took  place 
in  1839,  and  another  in  1868,  when  it  is  estimated 
that  twenty-five  thousand  were  killed.  But  Papal 
Christianity  still  survives,  and  it  is  estimated  that 


74        FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

it  has  now  fifty  thousand  adherents  in  Korea. 
In  1882  a  treaty  was  signed  with  the  United 
States,  and  we  threw  open  several  of  our  ports  to 
foreigners.  Among  them  is  Seoul,  the  royal  capi- 
tal, and  its  seaport,  Chemulpo,  also  Fusan,  in  the 
southeast,  and  Gensan,  to  the  northeast.  Our 
entire  country,  however,  may  be  said  to  be  prac- 
tically open  to  the  entrance  of  foreigners. 

The  first  approach  of  the  Gospel  to  Korea  was 
from  the  north,  in  1873,  when  Rev.  John  Ross,  a 
Scotch  missionary  in  Manchuria,  sought  an  en- 
trance, and  with  the  aid  of  a  native  Korean  trans- 
lated the  New  Testament  into  the  language  of 
northern  Korea,  and  later  baptized  a  few  converts. 
He  did  not  become,  however,  a  resident  missionary, 
and  it  was  not  until  1 884  that  a  permanent  mission- 
ary took  up  his  residence  in  Korea,  when  Dr.  H. 
N.  Allen,  of  the  American  Presbyterian  Mission, 
located  at  Seoul.  In  1886  Rev.  Dr.  H.  G.  Under- 
wood baptized  the  first  convert  in  Seoul.  In  1887 
Presbyterian  missionaries  organized  at  Seoul  the 
first  evangelical  church,  of  twenty-three  mem- 
bers, and  since  then  another  church  has  been  or- 
ganized under  the  auspices  of  Methodist  mission- 
aries.    The  total  membership  in  these  churches 


THE  PRESENT  VISION.  75 

is  now  one  hundred  and  seventy-seven,  and  there 
are  many  promising  candidates  seeking  admis- 
sion. Six  Protestant  missionary  societies  have 
established  missions  in  Korea,  and  at  present  we 
have  sixty-two  resident  missionaries,  including 
ladies.  Fusan  has  just  been  occupied,  and  Gensan 
will  soon  be  a  mission  station  also.  A  missionary 
printing-press  was  introduced  in  1887  ;  a  Korean 
Dictionary  was  published  in  1890  by  Dr.  Under- 
wood ;  and  the  translation  of  the  Bible  is  now  un- 
der way.  A  Christian  college  should  be  the  next 
step  in  the  march  of  progress.  Korea  is  a  land 
open  to  mission  work.  The  edict  against  the  pro- 
fession of  Christianity  is  apparently  a  dead  letter, 
although,  of  course,  there  is  a  latent  possibility  of 
its  revival,  if  the  spirit  of  persecution  should  arise. 
Although  our  past  reaches  back  into  dim  antiq- 
uity, yet  we  are  a  nation  born  in  a  day  into  the 
light  of  this  nineteenth  century.  We  have 
plodded  through  weary  centuries,  until  in  the 
present  generation  we  have  emerged  from  our  se- 
clusion into  contact  with  sister  nations  which  are 
the  heirs  of  all  the  ages.  We  look  to  the  Church 
of  Christ,  and  especially  to  Christian  America,  to 
extend  to  us  a  helping  hand  and  guide  us  into 


76        FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

the  paths  of  light.  As  we  have  been  born  In  a 
day  into  the  sisterhood  of  nations,  so  may  it 
be  our  happy  lot  to  be  born  in  a  day  into  the 
brotherhood  of  Christianity.  Come  over  and  help 
Korea. 

Following  this  Macedonian  call  from  Korea 
we  have  an  important  and  weighty  plea  from 
China.  Let  us  give  ear  to  our  brethren  in  that 
distant  empire.  Here  is  the  Chinese  version  of 
the  Macedonian  call : 

We  speak  on  behalf  not  only  of  China  proper 
with  its  population  of  386,000,000,  but  also  on 
behalf  of  the  great  Chinese  Empire,  including  the 
dependencies  of  Manchuria,  Mongolia,  Thibet,  and 
Turkestan,  with  a  total  population  of  407,000,000. 

If  our  message  were  signed  by  every  soul  in 
China,  and  we  should  allow  four  signatures  a 
minute  during  twelve  hours  of  the  day,  it  would 
have  been  necessary  that  the  first  name  should 
have  been  attached  about  the  time  that  Colum- 
bus discovered  America;  and  the  line  formed  of 
the  signers  would  have  reached  nearly  six  times 
around  the  globe,  or  fifty  times  across  your  con- 
tinent ;   and  during  the  process  of  attaching  the 


THE  PRESENT  VISION.  J 'J 

signatures,  a  number  equal  to  three  times  the 
population  of  the  globe  would  have  dropped  out 
of  the  ranks  in  death,  and  their  places  would  have 
been  supplied  by  others.  We  were  a  nation  be- 
fore Rome  was  founded,  and  before  Saul  was 
king  in  Israel.  We  are  more  than  one  fourth  of  the 
human  race ;  for  every  person  in  the  United  States 
there  are  nearly  seven  in  China.  The  populations 
of  Great  Britain,  Germany,  France,  Russia,  and 
the  United  States  together  equal  only  about  three 
fifths  of  the  people  of  China.  Thirty-three  thou- 
sand of  us  die  every  day — sufficient  to  bury  New 
York  City  in  a  month,  and  the  entire  population 
of  the  United  States  in  five  years.  Our  country 
with  its  dependencies  is  a  third  of  Asia,  and  one 
third  larger  than  Europe.  If  placed  over  the 
United  States,  it  would  extend  two  hundred  and 
forty  miles  into  the  Pacific  Ocean  and  cover  a 
large  part  of  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  We  have  a 
population  equal  to  the  United  States  in  our 
1700  walled  cities,  several  of  which  have  more 
than  1,000,000  inhabitants.  We  have  three  thou- 
sand miles  of  coast  line,  and  rivers  longer  than 
the  Mississippi.  Our  rivers  and  canals,  which  are 
loaded  with  commerce,  make  spacious  highways 


78        FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

through  the  land.  Our  language  has  forty  thou- 
sand characters ;  our  literature  is  older  than 
Moses ;  our  religion  than  the  Jewish  Tabernacle  ; 
our  poetry  than  that  of  Homer.  Our  public 
works  are  of  great  magnitude  and  antiquity.  Our 
mineral  resources  are  immense;  we  have  coal- 
fields alone  equal  in  size  to  the  New  England 
and  Middle  States,  with  Ohio,  Illinois,  Indiana, 
Michigan,  and  Wisconsin  added.  Our  educa- 
tional system  is  extensive,  and  our  literati  form  a 
large  and  distinguished  portion  of  the  population. 
Our  country  was  fully  opened  to  intercourse  with 
western  nations  in  i860,  and  we  have  made  con- 
siderable progress  in  adopting  the  arts,  sciences 
and  inventions  of  the  West.  Our  country  has 
become  accessible  by  the  swiftest  steamers,  and, 
were  we  allowed  to  do  so,  we  would  soon  turn 
the  Pacific  Ocean  into  a  Chinese  ferry.  Our  for- 
eign relations  with  the  United  States,  especially 
the  Chinese  Exclusion  Bills,  have  filled  our  minds 
with  astonishment  and  perplexity,  and  now  the 
climax  has  come  in  the  Geary  Act  of  1892, 
which  seems  to  us  both  unfair  and  unjust. 

So  far  as  present  treaties   are   concerned,  the 
Christian  religion  has   its   Magna  Charta  in   the 


THE  PRESENT  VISION.  79 

twenty-ninth  article  of  the  United  States  Treaty 
with  China,  in  which  it  is  guaranteed  that  "  those 
who  quietly  profess  and  teach  the  doctrines  oi 
Christianity  shall  not  be  harassed  or  persecuted  on 
account  of  their  faith."  This  applies  to  the  foreign 
missionary  and  also  his  Chinese  converts,  since 
in  either  case  neither  the  native  nor  the  foreign 
Christian  is  to  be  interfered  with  or  molested  in 
peaceably  teaching  and  practicing  the  principles 
of  Christianity.  We  cannot  deny  that  a  strong 
feeling  against  foreigners  exists  throughout  large 
portions  of  the  empire,  having  its  storm-center  in 
the  fanatical  province  of  Hunan,  from  whence  the 
vile  Hterature  urging  a  crusade  against  foreigners 
usually  comes.  Our  country  is  wide  and  vast, 
and  it  is  extremely  difficult  for  a  central  govern- 
ment to  control  a  spirit  so  subtle  and  intangible 
as  the  anti-foreign  sentiment,  but  we  have  rea- 
son to  believe  that  strenuous  and  serious  efforts 
will  be  made  on  the  part  of  the  authorities  to 
check  all  excesses.  We  have  not  as  yet  fol- 
lowed the  example  of  America  and  passed  our 
Exclusion  Bill  against  innocent  and  inoffensive 
foreigners  living  among  us ;  nor  have  we  opened 
as  yet  our  international    rogues'    gallery   where 


8o        FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

we  impale   our  foreign   guests   on   the  point  of 
the  camera. 

We  have  three  great  religions  among  us :  two 
of  them  Chinese  in  origin,  and  the  third  an  exotic 
from  India.  Our  Chinese  religions  are  Confucian- 
ism and  Taoism ;  both  of  which  originated  about 
the  sixth  century  B.  C.  Confucius  was  a  historic 
person,  a  moral  sage,  a  prophet  of  reason.  He 
made  no  claims  to  divinity,  but  was  a  human 
teacher  of  what  is  due  between  man  and  man. 
Confucianism  is  a  religion  without  a  revelation,  a 
worship  practically  without  a  God,  a  code  of  mor- 
als without  an  ultimate  personal  authority.  The 
system  finds  its  springs  in  earthly  and  temporal 
relations,  rather  than  in  reverent  worship  of  the 
living  God.  It  exalts  the  parental  relation  into  a 
system  of  worship  extending  even  to  remote  an- 
cestors. Its  realm  of  moral  duty  includes  human 
government,  social  manners,  practical  precepts, 
and  religious  formalism.  Its  moralities  have 
reference  almost  exclusively  to  what  is  due  from 
inferiors  to  superiors,  and  in  this  connection  it 
teaches,  as  one  of  its  precepts,  ''  What  you  would 
not  have  others  do  to  you,  do  not  to  them."  But 
it  fails  to  reach  the  Gospel  standard  that  we  should 


THE  PRESENT  VISION.  8 1 

return  good  for  evil.  Its  code  of  precepts  has  to 
do  with  the  moral  etiquette  of  the  state  and  the 
family,  and  reaches  out  into  the  realm  of  the 
dead,  requiring  an  elaborate  worship  of  ancestors, 
with  its  enormous  expense  and  its  burdensome 
exactions.  Confucianism  seems  to  be  the  patri- 
archal relation  developed  into  a  religion  of  vener- 
ation for  superiors,  living  or  dead.  It  is  a  dei- 
fication of  man,  and  its  natural  result  is  to  lift  the 
soul  no  higher  than  its  own  plane,  while  it  gives 
to  human  nature  an  irresponsible  power  which 
opens  an  easy  path  to  tyranny.  There  is  in  Con- 
fucianism no  supreme  God,  no  soul-destroying 
sin,  no  mediating  sacrifice,  no  Saviour,  no  real 
prayer,  no  inspiration  to  righteous  living.  Its 
highest  goal  is,  good  order  in  the  state,  good 
manners  in  the  home,  rehgious  veneration  of  the 
departed,  while  it  leaves  the  immortal  soul  to 
struggle  with  its  sin,  without  a  Saviour.  Taoism 
is  simply  the  deification  of  material  mysteries,  and 
its  natural  outcome  is  material  idolatry.  Bud- 
dhism came  to  us  from  India.  We  find  in  it  no 
moral  guidance  in  righteousness,  no  spiritual  Hfe 
for  the  soul,  and  no  uplifting  worship.  Our  native 
religions  cannot  save  us,  and  we  are  the  victims 


82        FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

of  superstition  in  a  thousand  fantastic  and  tyran- 
nical forms.  Sin  reigns  in  China,  and  we  need 
Him  who  came  to  seek  and  to  save  that  which 
was  lost.  The  Papal  and  Greek  forms  of  Chris- 
tianity have  entered  here,  and  both,  especially 
the  former,  are  aggressive  and  gaining  ground. 

Evangelical  missions  came  to  us  early  in  the 
century,  when,  in  1807,  Morrison  took  up  his  resi- 
dence at  Canton.  The  struggle  to  make  headway 
was  a  long  and  desperate  one.  After  sixty  years 
there  were  about  one  hundred  ordained  mission- 
aries in  China,  and  three  thousand  communicants. 
This  was  one  ordained  minister  to  every  four  mill- 
ion people,  which  would  be  at  the  present  time 
equivalent  to  about  fifteen  Christian  ministers 
to  the  entire  United  States.  Although  missions 
began  early  in  the  century,  it  was  only  in  1842 
that  the  treaty  ports  were  opened,  and  it  was  in 
i860  that  existing  treaties  were  made,  and  not 
until  1865  did  missions  begin  to  penetrate  into 
the  interior.  Our  progress  in  the  last  twenty- 
five  years  has  been  rapid.  We  have  now  600 
ordained  missionaries,  and,  including  ladies,  1500 
foreign  laborers  in  China,  representing  42  differ- 
ent societies.     We  have  250  ordained  and  3000 


THE  PRESENT  VISION.  83 

unordained  native  laborers,  and  522  organized 
churches.  The  work  of  medical  missions  among 
us  is  extensive,  as  we  have  61  hospitals  and  44 
dispensaries,  in  which  350,000  patients  are  treated 
annually.  We  have  50,000  communicants,  includ- 
ing an  addition  during  the  past  year  of  nearly 
3000.  There  is  a  remarkable  readiness  in  China 
for  the  reception  of  Christianity.  The  faith  of  the 
people  in  their  superstitions  and  in  their  dumb 
idols  is  wonderfully  shaken.  The  Tai-ping  re- 
bellion showed  us  the  folly  of  trusting  in  the  help 
of  idols,  since  those  who  trusted  in  them  were 
everywhere  defeated,  and  only  foreign  interfer- 
ence saved  our  empire  from  destruction.  Chris- 
tianity has  ministered  to  us  in  times  of  famine 
and  flood.  We  have  been  helped  by  those  whom 
we  distrusted,  and  many  of  us  have  learned  to 
respect  and  love  them.  In  one  of  those  famine- 
stricken  districts  a  Buddhist  temple  was  afterward 
given  by  the  people  to  the  American  missionaries 
to  be  used  as  a  Christian  church.  Our  native 
ministers  and  evangelists  are  many  of  them  emi- 
nently successful,  and  we  hope  for  great  results 
through  the  labors  of  natives  themselves  who  are 
called  of  God  to  His  service.     Our  great  needs 


84        FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

at  present  are  a  standard  translation  of  the  Word 
of  God  to  take  the  place  of  the  confusing  multi- 
plicity of  versions  that  have  been  prepared  in 
various  parts  of  the  empire,  and  also  an  earnest 
missionary  campaign  throughout  China  without 
delay.  The  recent  conference  at  Shanghai,  under 
the  guidance  of  the  divine  Spirit,  took  the  prelim- 
inary steps  toward  the  preparation  of  three  great 
standard  versions  of  the  Bible :  one  in  the  High 
Classical,  or  Wenli  language,  which  is  the  uni- 
versally written  but  unspoken  language  of  the 
empire ;  another  in  Low  Classical,  or  Easy  Wenli, 
for  those  who  are  unfamiliar  with  the  higher  clas- 
sical tongue ;  and  still  another  in  the  Mandarin, 
or  the  great  colloquial  language  of  northern,  west- 
ern, and  central  China;  and  from  these  standard 
versions  other  versions  in  various  local  dialects 
can  be  made  wherever  the  necessity  exists.  This 
grand  step  forward  in  giving  the  Word  of  God 
to  China  is  one  of  the  most  important  events  in 
the  history  of  missions.  And  what  shall  we  say 
of  the  call  for  personal  missionary  work  through- 
out our  vast  empire?  The  China  Inland  Mission, 
with  its  one  hundred  and  three  stations  and  over 
five    hundred    resident    missionaries  in   fourteen 


THE  PRESENT  VISION.  85 

provinces  of  the  empire,  shows  the  possibilities  of 
missionary  work  in  the  interior ;  and  the  call  of  the 
Shanghai  Conference  in  1890*  for  one  thousand 
missionaries  only  fairly  represents  the  immediate 
demands  of  the  work.  Our  converts  have  in- 
creased of  late  years  in  something  like  a  geomet- 
rical ratio,  so  much  so  that  in  the  past  thirty-five 
years  they  have  multiplied  at  least  two  thousand- 
fold ;  and  at  the  same  rate  of  increase  for  another 
thirty-five  years  there  will  be  in  China  twenty-six 
million  communicants  and  one  hundred  million 
adherents.  China  is  destined  to  be  a  land  of  Pen- 
tecosts.  She  needs  only  the  religion  of  Christ  to 
become  one  of  the  dominant  powers  of  the  earth. 
As  yet  we  have  only  the  first  sheaf  of  the  harvest. 
It  is  truly  an  *'  age  on  ages  telling  "  in  China,  and 
the  Church  of  Christ  has  an  opportunity  here  such 
as  has  never  been  opened  to  her  in  the  history  of 
our  Redeemer's  kingdom.  Come  over  and  help 
China, 

Far  to  the  east  of  China,  dotting  the  vast  waters 
of  the  ocean,  are  the  ISLANDS  OF  THE  Pacific. 
They,  too,  send  us  a  Macedonian  message.  Let 
us  listen  to  this  appeal  from  the  waiting  isles : 


86        FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

Recent  geographers  have  given  to  our  island 
world  of  the  Pacific  the  general  name  of  Oceania, 
and  this  is  subdivided  into  Malaysia  in  the  north- 
west, and  Australasia  to  the  southward,  and  Poly- 
nesia to  the  eastward,  with  a  still  further  sub- 
division of  the  central  groups  north  and  south  of 
the  equator  into  Micronesia  on  the  north  and 
Melanesia  on  the  south.  Where  we  came  from 
we  do  not  know,  but  it  must  have  been  from  the 
continent  of  Asia,  probably  from  both  Malayan 
and  Caucasian  origins.  We  are  the  lost  sheep  of 
the  human  race.  Isolated  in  our  island  homes, 
we  have  been  the  prey  of  barbarism  and  canni- 
balism and  cruel  strife  for  centuries.  Our  islands 
vary  in  size  from  a  vast  continent  to  a  tiny  speck 
on  the  bosom  of  the  pathless  seas.  New  Guinea 
is  larger  than  France,  and  Borneo  is  only  a  trifle 
smaller.  Sumatra  is  a  thousand  miles  long,  and 
as  large  as  Great  Britain.  Our  climate  for  the 
most  part  is  balmy,  and  bright  with  perpetual 
summer.  Nature  has  enriched  us  with  some  of 
her  choicest  treasures,  but  our  human  hearts  are 
in  poverty  and  our  human  lives  have  fallen  into 
the  lowest  depths  of  superstition  and  ignorance 
and  misery.     Only  within  the  century  have  we 


THE  PRESENT  VISION,  87 

been  taught  of  God,  and  from  island  to  island  the 
tidings  have  spread.  If  the  '*  feet  of  those  who 
bring  good  tidings "  are  ''  beautiful  upon  the 
mountains,"  they  are  no  less  beautiful  upon  the 
seas.  The  tidings  of  salvation  have  come  to  us 
as  upon  the  wings  of  the  wind,  and  the  white 
sails  of  the  ''  Morning  Stars,"  the  ''  Daysprings," 
the  "  Southern  Crosses,"  and  the  "  Ellengowans," 
have  been  hailed  with  delight,  and  to  some  of  us 
the  missionary  visit  has  been  the  crowning  event 
of  the  year.  Ours  is  a  wonderland  of  missions, 
a  land  of  transformations,  of  romance,  of  heroism, 
of  "  perils  by  land  and  by  sea,"  of  patient  faith, 
of  arduous  toil,  of  noble  sacrifices,  of  heroic  mar- 
tyrdoms, of  unparalleled  successes,  and  gracious 
victories  that  must  have  rung  through  heaven. 
Under  the  cocoa-trees,  in  the  perpetual  summer 
of  lonely  islands,  are  graves  which  the  Christian 
Church  might  delight  to  honor  as  monuments  of 
the  sweetest  heroism  and  the  truest  loyalty  and 
the  most  unselfish  service  to  which  the  Church 
can  point  in  modern  history.  The  dim  obscurity 
and  deep  loneliness  of  our  isolation  have  hidden 
away  from  the  knowledge  of  the  world  the  Chris- 
tian life  which  has  sprung  up  among  us  in  this 


88        FOREIGN  MISSIONS  /IFTER  A  CENTURY. 

nineteenth  century,  until  these  isles  of  the  Pacific, 
like  the  catacombs  of  Rome,  have  sheltered  a 
Church  in  exile,  whose  only  channel  of  communi- 
cation with  fellow- Christians  has  been  the  secret 
pathway  of  the  waters,  through  which  the  herald 
ships  have  passed  with  their  messages  of  cheer 
and  hope,  while  in  our  ocean  solitudes  we  have 
often  held  our  love-feasts  far  out  of  sight  of  the 
busy  world.  From  north  to  south  through  the 
midst  of  our  islands  runs  the  iSoth  parallel  of 
longitude,  where  the  world's  day  nominally  be- 
gins ;  but  to  us  has  dawned  a  brighter  day  of 
Gospel  light  and  sunny  hope. 

The  first  messenger  of  modern  missions  came 
to  us  just  before  the  century,  when  the  Lon- 
don Missionary  Society  landed  its  first  mission- 
aries in  Tahiti  in  1797,  and  since  then  the  work 
has  developed  in  two  great  divisions,  that  north 
of  the  equator,  largely  in  the  hands  of  Ameri- 
can missionaries,  and  that  south  of  the  equa- 
tor, in  the  hands  of  English  and  Europeans, 
making  a  total  of  fifteen  missionary  societies 
which  have  entered  the  Pacific.  In  the  north 
the  main  centers  are  the  Sandwich,  the  Gilbert, 
the  Marshall,  and   the  Caroline  groups;    in  the 


THE  PRESENT  VISION.  89 

south  the  main  centers  are  the  Marquesas,  the 
Society,  the  Hervey,  the  Samoan,  the  Fiji,  the 
Loyalty,  and  the  New  Hebrides  groups,  with  the 
large  single  islands  of  New  Guinea  and  Borneo 
and  those  of  the  Indian  Archipelago.  Some  of 
the  most  conspicuous  and  transforming  victories 
which  the  Gospel  has  ever  achieved  have  been 
won  among  our  people.  The  Sandwich  Islands 
on  the  north  and  the  Fiji  Islands  on  the  south  are 
examples  of  what  God's  grace  has  accomplished 
among  us. 

Our  entire  island  world  includes  about  thirty- 
eight  clusters  or  groups,  varying  in  number 
from  four  separate  islands,  as  in  the  Loyalty 
group,  to  four  hundred,  as  in  the  Philippine, 
and  included  within  the  whole  circumference  of 
our  watery  realm  there  are  not  less  than  two 
thousand  inhabited  islands,  with  a  total  popula- 
tion estimated  at  ten  millions.  Of  these  distinct 
groups  twenty-seven  are  already  under  the  pro- 
tection or  control  of  civilized  governments,  besides 
seven  separate  islands.  Evangelical  missionary 
societies  have  occupied  fifteen  of  these  groups, 
having  in  all  2260  stations  where  mission  work 
is  conducted.     In  connection  with  these  various 


90        FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

missions  many  of  our  languages  have  been  re- 
duced to  writing  and  made  a  medium  of  com- 
munication through  printing,  and  the  Word  of 
God  has  been  translated  entire  into  nine  of  these, 
and  in  part  into  thirty-three.  We  have  1369 
churches,  served  by  1200  native  pastors,  and  in 
addition  to  these  there  are  9074  unordained 
native  helpers  engaged  in  the  service.  The  total 
of  communicants  in  these  churches  is  58,000,  and 
the  total  of  professed  adherents  of  Christianity  in 
the  Pacific  Islands  is  225,000. 

There  are  fourteen  groups  of  islands  which  may 
be  said  to  be  practically  Christianized,  as  the  Sand- 
wich, Marquesas,  Fiji,  Gilbert,  Ellice,  Caroline,  Sa- 
moan.  Friendly,  Hervey,  Loyalty,  Tokelau,  Aus- 
tral, New  Hebrides,  and  Society,  besides  numerous 
separate  islands,  making  a  total  of  three  hundred 
and  five  distinct  islands  where  Christianity  may 
be  said  to  be  the  religion  of  almost  every  house- 
hold. In  addition,  there  are  other  groups  that  are 
partially  Christianized,  as  the  Banks,  the  Solomon, 
and  the  Santa  Cruz  Islands.  Hundreds  of  native 
missionaries  have  been  educated  and  trained  in 
institutions  Hke  the  model    Samoan   Missionary 


THE  PRESENT  J/ISION.  91 

Seminary  at  Malua,  and  St.  Barnabas  College  on 
Norfolk  Island,  and  the  Training  Institution  at 
Fiji,  with  its  one  hundred  and  nine  candidates 
for  the  ministry.  At  the  latter  school,  when 
an  appeal  was  recently  made  for  fifteen  helpers 
to  enter  upon  missionary  service  in  New  Guinea, 
fifteen  hundred  miles  away,  and  a  service  of  great 
peril  and  hardship,  there  were  forty  volunteers 
offered  themselves  at  once.  It  has  been  a  bright 
feature  of  Christian  life  among  us  that  it  has  been 
missionary  in  its  spirit,  and  our  native  mission- 
aries have  been  largely  instrumental  in  carrying 
the  Gospel  to  other  islands.  The  work  in  New 
Guinea  and  in  the  Samoan  group  and  in  Microne- 
sia has  been  largely  through  native  instrumental- 
ities. We  have  2398  mission  schools,  attended 
by  68,000  pupils,  and  our  churches  contribute 
annually  over  $72,000  to  help  on  the  progress  of 
the  kingdom.  The  Samoan  Islands  sent  in  1890 
an  offering  of  $9000  to  the  London  Missionary 
Society,  and  have  given  an  average  of  $6ooQ 
annually  to  the  same  society  for  the  past  twenty 
years. 

Christian   missions   among  us  have  been  at. 


92        FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

tended  with  enormous  difficulties  and  ever- 
threatening  perils.  Already  Williams,  Harris, 
George  Gordon  and  his  wife,  James  Gordon, 
McNair,  Patteson,  and  Atkins,  eight  devoted 
missionaries,  besides  hundreds  of  faithful  native 
laborers,  have  yielded  up  their  lives  in  martyr- 
dom. They  have  received  an  earthly  as  well  as 
a  heavenly  crown  in  the  erection  of  Christian 
churches  upon  the  very  soil  which  was  stained 
with  their  blood,  and  in  Gospel  triumphs  like  that 
recorded  upon  the  memorial  tablet  of  Geddie,  at 
Aneityum,  with  the  glorious  legend :  ''  When  he 
landed  here  in  1848,  there  were  no  Christians; 
and  when  he  left  here  in  1872,  there  were  no 
heathens."  There  have  been  single  missionaries, 
like  Titus  Coan,  who  have  baptized  with  their 
own  hands  about  15,000  converts,  and  in  one 
single  day  1705.  We  have  given  this  record  in 
detail  that  the  Church  of  Christ  may  be  stimu- 
lated and  encouraged  to  continue  this  work,  which 
has  been  so  fruitful  and  so  manifestly  blessed  of 
God  in  the  past.  Of  the  total  of  2000  islands, 
only  some  350  have  been  as  yet  touched,  even  in 
part,  by  the  power  of  the  Gospel,  and  there  re- 
main 1650  still  waiting  for  the  tidings  of  a  Saviour, 


THE  PRESENT  VISION.  93 

with  a  population  of  not  less  than  9,000,000  still 
unevangelized.  While  Christendom  has  its  ninety- 
and-nine  safe  within  the  fold  of  light  and  knowl- 
edge, think  of  the  lost  sheep  of  this  distant  realm 
of  darkness  and  danger.  Come  over  and  help  the 
Isles  of  the  Pacific. 

Let  us  turn  now  from  the  isles  of  the  Pacific 
and  listen  to  an  urgent  summons  from  SlAM 
and  Burma — lands  that  are  comparatively  little 
known,  but  which  have  already  been  the  scene  of 
notable  progress  in  mission  work.  These  coun- 
tries, which  are  geographically  contiguous,  form- 
ing the  bulk  of  a  great  Indo-Chinese  peninsula 
which  extends  toward  the  south  between  China 
on  the  northeast  and  India  on  the  northwest,  are 
little  visited  by  travelers,  but  together  they  repre- 
sent a  population  of  15,000,000,  among  whom  the 
Gospel  has  won  some  conspicuous  victories.  They 
voice  their  appeal  to  us  as  follows : 

We  are  a  collection  of  nationalities  and  races 
with  innumerable  tribal  subdivisions.  Our  lan- 
guages, however,  are  not  many,  and  seem  to  have 
much  in  common.  Our  religion  is  chiefly  Bud- 
dhism and  Demon  Worship.     The  caste  system, 


94        FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

however,  is  not  found  among  us,  and  we  consider 
ourselves  higher  in  the  scale  of  civilization,  espe- 
cially in  our  treatment  of  woman,  than  many  of 
our  Oriental  neighbors.  The  interior  tribes  in- 
habiting the  mountainous  regions  are  wild  and 
warlike  races,  yet  display  a  singular  readiness  to 
welcome  Christian  instruction.  The  Laos  tribes 
in  the  north  of  Siam,  and  the  Karens  in  Burma, 
have  received  the  Gospel  seed  as  into  good  ground, 
and  have  yielded  a  generous  harvest. 

Christian  missionaries  entered  Burma  early  in 
the  century.  Judson,  who  arrived  in  1813,  bap- 
tized the  first  convert  after  six  years.  In  1834 
he  completed  the  translation  of  the  Bible  into 
Burmese,  and  flourishing  missions  of  the  American 
Baptist  Union  have  been  long  established,  with 
at  present  23  stations,  139  missionaries,  610  na- 
tive preachers,  550  churches,  and  30,253  commu- 
nicants, of  whom  1936  were  received  in  1891. 
Mission  schools  number  500,  with  11,000  pupils. 
Six  other  societies  have  also  entered  Burma.  In 
Assam  also  there  are  7  stations,  with  33  mission- 
aries, and  a  church-membership  of  2400.  An 
encouraging  feature  of  our  work  is  that  native 
evangelists,  especially  among  the  Karens,  are  our 


THE  PRESENT  VISION.  95 

most  successful  workers.  The  Karen  Bible  was 
completed  in  1853,  and  still  another  translation  in 
a  different  dialect  in  1883,  so  that  the  entire  Word 
of  God  is  in  circulation  among  all  the  Karens  of 
Burma.  In  1878  a  jubilee  celebration  was  ob- 
served, fifty  years  after  the  baptism  of  the  first 
Karen  convert,  Ko-Tha-byu.  It  was  found  at 
that  time  that  the  membership  of  the  Karen 
churches  was  over  20,000. 

In  Siam  the  Gospel  is  making  rapid  progress 
among  the  Laos  tribes,  and  our  appeal  for  help 
is  most  earnest  and  importunate.  The  American 
Presbyterians  have  here  a  most  encouraging  mis- 
sion, and  an  open  door  into  southwestern  China. 
Christian  missions  in  Siam  are  regarded  with  favor 
and  treated  with  unusual  courtesy  and  generosity 
by  the  king  and  his  government.  In  1878  a 
proclamation  of  religious  liberty  for  the  Laos  was 
made  by  the  King  of  Siam.  The  Bible  is  already 
in  the  Siamese  language,  and  the  material  facilities 
are  now  sufficiently  advanced  to  give  the  hope  of 
its  early  translation  and  distribution  in  the  Laos 
tongue,  in  which  the  Gospel  of  Matthew  is  already 
issued.  Our  past  history  is  a  promise  of  great 
and  fruitful  results,  if  Christian  missions  will  come 


96        FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

cO  the  help  of  this  distant  land,  hidden  away  in 
the  depths  of  comparatively  unknown  Asia. 
Come  over  and  help  Si  AM  and  Burma. 

We  lay  aside  the  message  from  Farther  India 
and  Siam  and  open  another  from  the  teeming 
realm  of  INDIA.  What  myriads  of  voices  mingle 
in  this  appeal  of  India,  which  is  said  to  contain 
more  distinct  and  separate  nations  than  Europe. 
It  is  a  country  whose  greatest  length  from  north 
to  south  and  its  greatest  width  from  east  to  west 
are  equal,  and  in  either  case  measure  about  1900 
miles.  Its  area  is  as  large  as  all  Europe,  includ- 
ing Russia.  Its  total  population,  including  that 
of  the  British  provinces  and  native  states,  is  287,- 
000,000,  and  has  increased  33,000,000  in  ten 
years,  according  to  the  census  of  1891. 

It  has,  therefore,  twice  the  population  of  the 
two  Americas,  North  and  South,  with  40,000,000 
to  spare.  The  single  province  of  Bengal  has  more 
people  than  the  United  States.  Two  of  its  lan- 
guages, the  Hindustani  and  the  Bengali,  are 
spoken  by  more  people  than  inhabit  the  two 
American  continents.  One  of  its  religions,  the 
Hindu,  is  professed  by  more  than  three  times  the 


THE  PRESENT  VISION.  97 

population  of  the  United  States,  and  another,  the 
Mohammedan,  by  a  number  nearly  equal  to  the 
population  of  our  country.  The  recent  census 
was  taken  in  17  different  languages,  and  there 
were  950,000  enumerators.  The  average  popula- 
tion per  square  mile  for  all  India,  including  Bur- 
ma, is  184,  and  in  some  sections,  as  in  Bengal, 
it  reaches  460,  while  the  average  population  of 
the  United  States  is  1 7.9  to  the  square  mile.  The 
danger  of  famine  is  constant,  and  the  ravages  of 
disease  are  frightful.  There  are  500,000  lepers, 
while  417,000  die  annually  of  cholera,  and  3,500,- 
000  of  fever.  In  the  official  returns  for  1891,  it 
was  reported  that  24,841  people  in  British  India 
were  killed  by  wild  animals  during  that  year,  of 
whom  22, 1 34  died  from  the  bite  of  snakes.  Three 
fifths  of  India  are  under  direct  British  rule,  while 
the  remaining  two  fifths,  consisting  of  460  native 
feudatory  states,  are  in  vassalage  to  the  British 
government.  The  Portuguese  and  French  have 
small  settlements  scattered  about  upon  the  sea- 
coast. 

The  original  inhabitants  of  India  were  Tura- 
nian, and  at  a  distant  period,  at  least  ten,  and 
perhaps  fifteen,  hundred  years  before  the  Chris- 


98        FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

tian  era,  there  was  a  great  Aryan  invasion  which 
dominated  the  history  of  India  until  about  looo 
A.D.,  when  the  Mohammedan  invaders  after  re- 
peated efforts  gained  the  ascendency.  The  Mo- 
gul power  was  established  in  1526  and  held 
sway  until,  in  1757,  by  the  victory  of  Plassey, 
under  Lord  Clive,  the  British  rule  was  begun  and 
the  mighty  Indian  Empire  of  Great  Britain  was 
founded.  One  hundred  years  later,  in  1857,  at 
the  time  of  the  mutiny,  the  Indian  Empire  was 
firmly  established,  and  came  fully  under  the  power 
of  the  British  Crown  and  ParHament.  The  prov- 
idence of  God  is  wonderfully  revealed  in  all  this, 
and  it  is  a  blessing  beyond  compare  to  a  country 
like  India,  so  liable  to  be  torn  by  civil  strife  and 
overrun  by  tyranny,  to  have  the  strong,  firm,  and 
just  rule  of  the  British  government  exercising  its 
benign  sway  over  these  vast,  restless,  and  turbulent 
races.  The  outlook  for  the  future  is  that  all  things 
are  now  ready  for  India  to  become  a  Christian 
empire,  and  it  is  a  reasonable  hope  that  not  many 
generations  will  pass  before  we  shall  see  marvel- 
ous and  startHng  changes  in  this  land.  Already 
the  native  Protestant  Christians  of  India,  Burma, 
and  Ceylon  number  671,285,  a  number  which  may 


THE  PRESENT  VISION,  99 

safely  be  regarded  as  fully  equal  to  the  total 
number  of  Christians  in  the  Roman  Empire  at  the 
end  of  the  first  century  of  the  Christian  era.  Let 
us  listen  now  to  the  resistless  plea  of  India,  which 
comes  to  us  as  follows : 

We  are  the  children  of  Providence,  and  God 
has  reached  out  His  hand  to  help  us  in  wondrous 
ways  during  the  past  century.      He  has  put  an 
end  to  cruel  customs,  and  has  alleviated  many  of 
the  awful  miseries  that  afflicted  us.     We  have  a 
government  which  assures  peace  and  administers 
justice,  and  which,  although  it  is  not  free  from 
painful  failures  in  the  past  and  strange  insensibility 
to  some  pressing  evils,  is  yet  an  immense  boon  to 
our  country,  and  life  and  property  are  now  as  safe 
in  India  as  in  any  Christian  land.      Our  material 
progress  is  full  of  the  spirit  of  Western  civilization. 
Our  postal  facilities  are  admirable,  by  which  320,- 
000,000  letters  and  newspapers  are  transmitted  in 
a  year;   and   our  telegraphic  system   is   equally 
good,  with  37,000  miles  of  wire,  by  which  are 
transmitted  3,500,000  messages  a  year;  and  there 
are  already  1 8,000  miles  of  railway  in  operation,  by 
which  120,000,000  passengers  are  carried  annu- 
ally.    Society  is  being  revolutionized,  and  already 


lOO      FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

a  new  moral  and  social  tone  is  pervading  it  Our 
giant  system  of  caste  is  receiving  constantly  in- 
numerable blows  from  every  direction,  especially 
from  the  silent  and  vigorous  influence  which 
general  education  exerts  in  breaking  down  its 
barriers.  The  government  has  conferred  an  im- 
perial benefit  upon  us  in  the  system  of  national 
education,  established  in  1854.  We  have  130,000 
educational  institutions  of  all  grades  under  govern- 
ment auspices,  attended  by  3,700,000  pupils,  and 
there  are  at  present  in  India  more  than  14,000,- 
000  readers,  and  the  educated  classes  who  have 
been  through  our  higher  institutions  are  almost 
without  exception  familiar  with  Enghsh. 

Our  religious  life  is  many-sided,  and  enters  into 
all  the  phases  of  our  social  system.  We  have  pan- 
theism and  mystical  philosophy  for  Brahmans,  and 
we  have  idolatry  and  gross  ceremonialism  for  those 
of  lower  religious  instincts.  Hinduism  has  a  won- 
derful flexibility  and  capacity  to  adjust  itself  to 
all  classes  of  society,  and  as  a  religion  it  does  not 
trouble  itself  with  the  sins  of  men,  but  rather  with 
their  external  observance  of  superstitious  rites  and 
ceremonies.  It  absorbs  and  assimilates  the  mighty 
system  of  caste,  and  at  the  same  time  uses  it  as  a 


THE  PRESENT  VISION.  lOI 

facile  instrument  for  its  own  ends.  Modern  Hin- 
duism is  a  lapse  into  grosser  forms  of  idolatry  and 
into  deeper  depths  of  superstition  than  those 
which  characterized  the  earlier  and  purer  forms 
of  Brahmanism.  The  Hindu  of  to-day  is  a  wor- 
shiper of  false  gods,  a  slave  to  gross  superstitions, 
a  Pharisee  of  the  Pharisees  in  ceremonialism,  and 
is  seeking  to  work  out  his  own  salvation  by  meth- 
ods which  are  both  degrading  and  puerile.  While 
the  Hindu  faith  is  held  by  nearly  three  fourths  of 
the  people  of  India,  yet  there  is  still  an  immense 
following  to  Islam,  numbering  in  all  over  57,000,- 
000.  There  are  besides  7,000,000  Buddhists  and 
over  11,000,000  divided  up  among  smaller  sects, 
and  among  them  is  a  remnant  of  the  Parsees, 
numbering  about  90,000.  Among  all  this  variety 
there  are  2,284,380  recognized  as  Christians,  but 
of  this  number  only  559,661  are  enrolled  as  Prot- 
estants. If  we  include  also  Burma  and  Ceylon 
the  number  will  be  671,285. 

Protestant  missions  in  India  were  permanently 
established  when  Carey,  as  a  representative  of  the 
Baptist  Missionary  Society,  arrived  in  1793,  al- 
though as  early  as  i  705  Ziegenbalg  and  Plutschau 
were  here  as  the  representatives  of  a  Danish  mis- 


I02      FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

sion.  Carey  and  his  friends  with  difficulty  secured 
a  footing,  owing  to  the  opposition  of  the  English 
authorities.  The  London  Missionary  Society  be- 
gan its  work  at  Madras  in  1805,  and  the  Church 
Missionary  Society  sent  Henry  Martyn  in  1807. 
Judson  and  Newell  arrived  in  18 12,  although  a 
year  later  Judson  went  to  Burma.  The  Wesleyan 
Missionary  Society  of  England  entered  in  181 3. 
In  1830  the  Scottish  Presbyterian  Church  sent 
Alexander  Duff  to  be  the  leader  in  the  great  ed- 
ucational movement  in  India.  In  1833  the  Pres- 
byterian Church  of  the  United  States  of  America 
sent  her  missionaries  Lowrie  and  Reed.  The 
American  Methodists  entered  in  1856.  There 
are  at  present  36  large  missionary  societies  and 
29  smaller  organizations  doing  work  in  India, 
making  a  total  of  65  agencies. 

The  progress  of  Protestant  missions  during  the 
century  has  been  such  as  to  kindle  the  largest 
hopes  of  wonderful  changes  in  the  near  future. 
If  we  compare  the  statistics  of  1851  with  those  of 
1890  we  can  note  astonishing  growth  covering 
the  period  named.  Foreign  ordained  missionaries 
have  increased  from  339  to  857;  native  ordained 
preachers  from  21   to  797 ;   native  lay -preachers 


THE  PRESENT  VISION.  103 

from  493  to  3491  ;  lady  foreign  missionaries  from 
none  in  185  i  to  711,  and  native  female  evangel- 
ists from  none  in  1851  to  3278.  These  last  sig- 
nificant figures  indicate  the  rapid  growth  of  zenana 
missions,  that  new  and  powerful  agency  which 
has  so  recently  taken  a  front  rank  among  the  mis- 
sionary forces  of  India.  In  1881  there  were  7522 
zenanas  visited,  and  40,513  in  1890,  In  1881 
the  zenana  pupils  were  9132,  and  in  1890  the 
number  had  increased  to  32,659.  Protestant  mis- 
sions have  given  special  attention  to  educational 
agencies  in  India.  There  are  at  present  8 1  theo- 
logical and  training  schools,  with  1584  pupils. 
Mission  schools  of  all  societies  number  6737,  and 
their  pupils  238,171.  The  work  of  medical  mis- 
sions was  not  begun  until  1867,  and  at  present 
there  are  97  foreign  medical  missionaries  and  168 
native,  with  166  hospitals  and  dispensaries.  The 
native  Protestant  communicants  in  185 1  were 
14,661,  and  182,722  in  1890.  The  Protestant 
adherents  in  185 1  were  91,092,  and  559,661  in 
1890. 

How  inadequately  these  figures  represent  the 
changes  of  the  century !  Christianity  has  entered 
India  as  a  living  religion,  and  its  leaven  is  work- 


104     FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

ing  among  her  vast  population,  until,  in  1892, 
there  are  indications  of  deep  upheavals  and  great 
mass  movements  toward  its  acceptance.  The 
higher  castes  are  intellectually  and  spiritually  rest- 
less, and  are  seeking  by  such  compromises  as  the 
Brahmo  Somaj  and  the  Arya  Somaj  to  establish 
a  modus  vivendi  between  Brahmanic  philosophy 
and  Christian  revelation.  The  Gospel  has  found 
a  larger  and  more  effective  entrance  among  the 
lower  castes,  and  is  silently  reaching  down  to 
those  strata  of  society  which  are  below  the  caste 
line.  Unless  all  signs  fail,  India  is  being  prepared 
for  Pentecostal  scenes.  The  American  Methodist 
missions  report  25,000  conversions  during  1892, 
and  thousands  more  are  pressing  on  into  the 
kingdom.  The  average  reported  by  the  Meth- 
odists of  1200  conversions  per  month  for  the  last 
two  years  seems  a  wonder  of  divine  grace,  and 
yet  if  it  should  become  12,000  a  month,  it  would 
require  even  at  that  rate  two  thousand  years  for 
the  conversion  of  India.  Even  a  million  converts 
a  year  would  mean  nearly  three  hundred  years 
before  India  was  won  for  Christ.  Surely  the 
King's  business  requireth  haste.  The  rapid  de- 
velopment of  the  native  agencies  of  India  is  a 


THE  PRESENT   VISION.  105 

conspicuous  sign  of  the  coming  of  the  kingdom. 
The  great  empire  will  soon  be  in  the  hands  of 
native  Christian  converts*  whom  God  will  use  for 
the  evangelization  of  India,  and  for  missions  into 
neighboring  lands.  Native  Indian  missionaries 
will  soon  represent  a  native  Indian  Church  in 
a  foreign  missionary  campaign.  Our  appeal  is 
backed  by  a  marvelous  century  which  has  now 
just  closed,  and  it  is  emphasized  by  the  magnifi- 
cent promise  of  the  coming  century  which  has 
now  just  opened.  In  the  name  of  these  vast  and 
needy  millions  we  call  to  the  Church  of  Christ : 
Come  over  and  help  India, 

Leaving  India  and  going  toward  the  west,  the 
vast  continent  of  AFRICA  is  before  us.  It  seems 
to  fill  the  vision,  and  overwhelm  the  mind,  and 
awaken  a  feeling  of  awe,  mingled  with  yearning 
zeal,  in  a  heart  inspired  by  the  spirit  of  missions. 
We  try  to  picture  its  colossal  proportions  of  11,- 
500,000  square  miles,  noting  that  it  is  more  than 
three  times  as  large  as  Europe,  and  that  all  of 
North  America  and  Europe  together  would  not 
occupy  the  same  space.  Then  its  teeming  pop- 
ulation, equal  to  nearly  one  seventh  of  the  hu- 


I06     FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

man  race,  roughly  estimated  from  160,000,000  to 
200,000,000,  adds  a  picturesque  and  at  the  same 
time  an  affecting  interest  to  the  scene.  Africa 
has  waited  long  for  its  day  of  visitation.  It  has 
been  like  a  submerged  continent  for  centuries, 
and  only  of  late  has  it  loomed  up  before  the  eyes 
of  the  world  and  fixed  at  once  the  united  gaze 
of  statesmen,  explorers,  scientists,  historians,  mer- 
chants, and  Christian  philanthropists.  It  is  a  new 
world  for  the  nineteenth  century  to  conquer. 
More  has  been  learned  of  Africa  in  the  past  fifty 
years  than  has  been  known  before  since  the 
Creation.  The  world  has  been  both  entranced 
and  appalled  as  its  enormous  interior  populations 
have  come  to  light,  and  its  natural  mysteries  have 
been  disclosed,  its  gigantic  problems  revealed,  its 
colossal  woes  uncovered,  its  piteous  story  of  suf- 
fering and  wrong  recited,  and  the  irresistible  ap- 
peal of  a  sorrow-stricken,  world-forgotten  conti- 
nent has  been  unfolded  in  current  hterature.  A 
startling  emphasis  is  also  given  to  this  story  of 
African  wrong  when  we  find  that  even  the  con- 
temporary relations  of  civilization  to  Africa  are 
not  free  from  new  perils ;  that  while  philan- 
thropy has  been  slowly  awakening  to  the  urgency 


THE  PRESENT  VISION.  107 

of  its  duty  and  the  grandeur  of  its  opportunity, 
human  greed  has  been  shipping  its  rum  and  its 
weapons  of  destruction  to  the  untold  injury  of 
Africa,  while  the  inhuman  cruelties  of  the  slave- 
trade  have  not  as  yet  been  suppressed. 

The  story  of  African  exploration  in  its  early 
and  primitive  period  reaches  back  to  the  fifteenth 
century,  when  the  Portuguese  made  some  efforts 
upon  the  West  and  East  Coasts  and  ventured 
somewhat  into  the  interior.  The  Dutch  in  the 
seventeenth  century  obtained  their  footing  in 
South  Africa.  In  the  years  1768-73  James 
Bruce,  the  first  modern  explorer  of  the  interior  of 
Africa,  made  his  venturesome  journey,  and  has 
been  known  since  as  the  discoverer  of  the  Blue 
Nile.  It  was  in  1795,  however,  just  about  the 
time  that  Carey  was  establishing  his  mission  in 
India,  when  the  past  century  of  modern  missions 
began,  that  systematic  exploration  was  under- 
taken. In  this  same  year  Mungo  Park  made  his 
first  journey,  lasting  two  and  a  half  years,  and  in 
1803  he  undertook  a  second  journey,  which  re- 
sulted in  his  death.  As  late  as  1851  the  presi- 
dent of  the  Royal  Geographical  Society  said,  ''AH 
beyond  the  coast  of  Central  and  Southern  Africa  is 


Io8      FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

still  a  blank  in  our  maps."  Among  the  earliest  of 
modern  explorers  were  Krapf  and  Rebmann,  two 
missionaries  of  the  Church  Missionary  Society, 
who  made  their  entrance  upon  the  East  Coast  in 
1 844.  In  1 849  David  Livingstone  began  his  ex- 
plorations, extending  over  a  period  of  twenty-four 
years.  He  died  in  1873  ^t  Ilala,  on  the  south 
shore  of  Lake  Bangweolo.  His  heart  was  buried 
under  a  tree  near  by,  but  his  body  was  removed 
to  England  and  interred  in  Westminster  Abbey. 
The  Royal  Geographical  Society  of  England  has 
recently  placed  a  memorial  tablet  of  bronze  on 
the  tree  near  which  he  died,  with  the  inscrip- 
tion: ''Livingstone  died  here,  Ilala,  May  ist, 
1873."  Other  distinguished  explorers  since  Liv- 
ingstone were  Burton,  Speke,  and  Grant  (185  ^-62), 
Baker  (1863-65),  Schweinfurth  (1868-71),  Stan- 
ley (1871-90),  Cameron  (1873-75),  and  Thomson 
(1884).  Recent  years  have  only  added  to  the 
eflforts  at  exploration,  so  that  at  the  present  time 
there  are  at  least  fifteen  exploring  parties  con- 
ducting operations  in  Africa,  and  every  European 
government  which  has  its  protectorate  or  sphere 
of  influence  is  desirous  of  discovering  as  soon  as 
possible  every  unexplored  mystery  and  unknown 


THE  PRESENT  VISION.  1 09 

possibility  of  its  new  possessions.  There  are  still 
vast  regions  in  Central  Africa,  north  of  the  Congo 
Free  State,  about  which  little  is  known. 

A  language  map  of  Africa  has  recently  been 
constructed,  chiefly  through  Dr.  R.  N.  Cust,  who 
has  made  careful  and  learned  researches  into 
the  modern  languages  of  Africa.  It  divides  the 
people  into  six  linguistic  groups — the  Hamitic, 
in  North  Africa ;  the  Semitic,  including  those  in 
North  Africa  and  along  the  valley  of  the  Nile, 
using  in  the  main  the  Arabic  language  and  iden- 
tified with  Mohammedanism ;  the  Nuba  Fulah,  in 
the  Eastern  Soudan ;  the  Negro,  in  West  and 
North  Central  Africa,  with  195  distinct  languages 
and  49  dialects ;  the  Bantu,  south  of  the  equator, 
with  168  languages  and  55  dialects,  as  far  as  at 
present  known ;  and  the  Hottentots,  in  the  south- 
ern extremity  of  the  continent,  the  lowest  in  the 
scale  of  civilization.  The  total  of  languages  rep- 
resented in  these  linguistic  divisions  is  438,  with 
1 5  3  separate  dialects.  The  Bible  has  been  trans- 
lated wholly  into  13  of  these  African  languages 
and  dialects,  and  the  New  Testament  entire  into 
10  additional  languages,  while  portions  of  the 
Bible  are  in  43  others,  making  a  total  of  66  Ian- 


no     FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

guages  and   dialects   which   have   been   made  a 
medium  of  Scripture  truth. 

The  religions  of  Africa  are  not  in  the  main  at- 
tended with  idolatry  such  as  prevails  in  India, 
but  may  rather  be  classed  under  the  general  name 
of  fetichism.  A  fetich  is  some  material  thing 
which  is  supposed  to  contain  a  spirit,  and  this 
spirit,  either  for  good  or  evil,  possesses  supernat- 
ural powers.  Almost  anything  may  be  a  fetich, 
and  in  that  case  must  be  regarded  with  the  rev- 
erence and  superstitious  fear  with  which  the  ig- 
norant regard  demons  and  evil  spirits.  The 
result  is  that  the  great  mass  of  the  people  of 
Africa  are  the  victims  of  innumerable  supersti- 
tions, and  the  only  religious  life  they  know  is  one 
of  bondage  to  the  cruel  and  relentless  exactions 
of  barbarous  custom,  or  to  the  malicious  caprice 
of  the  evil  spirits  which  are  supposed  to  inhabit 
the  material  things  with  which  men  are  sur- 
rounded, which  they  therefore  regard  with  su- 
perstitious fear,  and  to  which  they  continually 
offer  their  religious  sacrifices.  Fetichism  is  not 
always  unaccompanied  by  idolatry,  but  as  a  rule 
idols  are  not  used.  Mohammedanism  has  a  large 
following  in  the  north  of  Africa,  and  in  the  Sou- 


THE  PRESENT  VISION.  iii 

dan,  East  and  West.  It  is  also  found  on  the 
East  and  West  Coasts.  It  is  difficult  to  form 
an  accurate  estimate  of  the  number  of  Moham- 
medans. It  has  prevailed  in  the  sections  of  Africa 
mentioned  since  the  Mohammedan  invasion  of  the 
seventh  century,  and  it  is  possible  that  at  the 
present  time  one  fourth  of  the  population  of  the 
continent  may  be  ranked  as  Moslems.  As  regards 
some  aspects  of  external  civilization,  the  African 
Mohammedan  may  be  considered  as  the  superior 
of  the  fetich  worshiper,  and  when  the  faith  in  one 
God  is  intelligently  held  as  a  matter  of  conviction, 
a  manifest  advance  has  been  made  into  the  realm 
of  higher  religious  truth ;  but,  after  all,  measured 
by  the  moral  and  spiritual  standards  of  the  Bible, 
there  is  little,  if  any,  difference  between  the  prac- 
tical religious  life  of  an  African  Mohammedan  and 
an  African  pagan.  Both  are  far  out  of  touch 
with  a  holy  God  and  the  Gospel  standards  of 
righteousness  which  He  has  given  us.  The 
Christians  in  Africa  number  about  three  and  a 
half  millions,  one  half  of  whom  are  Copts  and 
Abyssinians.  The  remainder  may  be  divided 
between  Roman  Catholics  and  Protestants.  There 
are  nearly  a  million  Jews,  mostly  on  the  shores  of 


112      FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

the  Mediterranean,  and  about   250,000  Hindus, 
chiefly  on  the  East  Coast. 

The  recent  partition  of  Africa  among  the  Euro- 
pean nations  has  been  one  of  the  foremost  events 
of  the  century,  and  has  committed  the  statesman- 
ship, civiHzation,  and  philanthropy  of  the  lead- 
ing nations  of  the  world  to  the  oversight  and 
development  of  the  material  and  moral  well-being 
of  Africa  to  an  extent  beyond  the  bounds  of  im- 
agination a  few  years  ago.  Let  us  hope  that  the 
higher  interests  of  these  vast  and  ignorant  popu- 
lations will  become  a  special  charge  upon  the 
humanitarian  sympathies  and  the  Christian  con- 
sciences of  these  mighty  nations  which  have  ac- 
cepted so  impulsively  the  vast  responsibilities 
involved  in  these  self-assumed  protectorates. 
In  actual  extent  of  territory  France  leads  the  list, 
having  2,902,624  square  miles  under  her  super- 
vision, to  which  Dahomey  has  been  recently 
added,  completing  her  supremacy  over  almost 
the  entire  western  section  of  the  northern  half  of 
Africa.  As  regards  population,  however.  Great 
Britain,  with  a  .protectorate  of  2,570,926  square 
miles,  is  immensely  in  advance  of  all  other  nations. 
Germany  follows,  with  866,000  square  miles,  Por- 


THE  PRESENT  VISION.  1 13 

tugal,  with  735,304,  and  Italy,  with  602,000. 
Spain  has  her  possessions  mostly  in  islands  off 
the  West  Coast,  with  an  area  of  243,877  square 
miles.  Then  there  are  countries  tributary,  as 
Egypt  and  Tripoli  to  Turkey,  and  Independent,  as 
Morocco  in  the  north,  some  of  the  Soudan  States 
in  the  Interior,  the  South  African  Republic,  the 
Orange  River  Free  State,  Swaziland  in  the  south, 
and  Liberia  In  the  west.  Not  the  least  re- 
markable among  the  recent  political  changes  in 
Africa  is  the  creation  by  an  International  Confer- 
ence at  Berlin,  in  1885,  of  the  Congo  Free  State, 
which  was  placed  under  the  personal  sovereignty 
of  the  King  of  the  Belgians.  In  1889  the  king 
by  will  bequeathed  to  Belgium  all  his  sovereign 
rights  In  the  State,  and  at  a  convention  held  July 
3,  1890,  between  representatives  of  Belgium  and 
the  Congo  Free  State,  the  right  of  annexing  the 
latter  was  reserved  to  Belgium  after  a  period  of 
ten  years. 

Missionary  work  in  Africa  has  developed  rap- 
idly within  a  generation.  The  Moravians,  who 
entered  Africa  on  the  West  Coast  as  early  as 
1736,  were  the  pioneers,  but  were  obliged  to  give 
up  the  struggle  on  account  of  the  deadly  climate 


114     FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

of  that  region.  They  entered  South  Africa  in 
1737,  but  were  bitterly  opposed  and  practically 
expelled  by  the  Dutch.  Subsequently,  in  1792, 
they  renewed  the  effort,  and  have  established 
permanent  and  useful  missions.  The  great  mis- 
sionary siege  of  the  African  continent  has  been 
entered  upon  by  all  the  leading  missionary  so- 
cieties of  the  world.  The  London  Missionary 
Society  established  itself  in  Africa  as  early  as 
1798,  and  was  followed  by  the  Church  Mission- 
ary Society  in  1 804,  the  Wesleyan  in  1 8 1 1 ,  the 
American  Baptist  Missionary  Union  in  1821,  the 
Basle  Missionary  Society  in  1827,  the  Rhenish 
and  the  French  Evangehcal  Missions  in  1829, 
the  American  Presbyterians,  Methodists,  and  Epis- 
copalians and  the  American  Board  of  Commis- 
sioners in  1833,  the  Berlin  in  1834,  and  since 
then  the  English  Baptists,  the  Free  Church  of  Scot- 
land, the  Universities'  Mission  to  Central  Africa, 
the  Scotch  and  American  United  Presbyterian 
Churches,  the  Established  Church  of  Scotland, 
and  many  others  have  added  their  forces  to  the 
advancing  hosts.  Among  the  recent  develop- 
ments in  this  noble  campaign  is  the  occupation  of 
Uganda  by  the  Church  Missionary  Society,  the 


THE  PRESENT  VISION.  1 15 

opening  up  of  mission  work  In  the  Congo  Valley, 
the  new  push  of  the  Church  Missionary  Society 
into  the  Soudan  by  way  of  the  Upper  Niger,  and 
the  North  African  Mission  among  the  Berbers. 
The  total  result  at  present  is  represented  by  42 
missionary  societies,  1000  stations,  1168  mission- 
aries, and  about  1,000,000  Protestant  adherents, 
of  whom  101,212  are  communicants.  The  Chris- 
tian world  has  received  no  Macedonian  call  more 
startling  and  pathetic  than  that  which  comes  from 
Africa.  We  listen  with  wonder  and  awe  to  the 
voice  of  a  continent  which  speaks  to  us  as  follows  : 
Our  cry  is  out  of  the  depths  ;  we  belong  to  the 
submerged  miUions  of  the  race ;  our  existence 
has  been  shrouded  in  darkness  for  centuries.  A 
whole  continent  of  forgotten  humanity  has  sud- 
denly awakened  to  consciousness,  and  appeals  to 
the  human  brotherhood  of  favored  nations  for  help 
and  hope,  and  a  share  in  the  blessings  of  heaven. 
We  have  long  dwelt  in  ignorance  and  misery,  the 
slaves  of  unhappy  destiny,  banished  from  the 
world's  light,  and  strangers  to  the  world's  civili- 
zation. Within  a  generation  we  have  found  the 
white  man  pressing  in  among  our  vast  populations 
for  political  and  commercial  ends,  but  not  always 


1 16      FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

to  our  own  highest  welfare.  To  the  long  and 
dreadful  chapter  of  wrong  and  cruelty  which  the 
slave-trader  has  written  in  blood  upon  the  quiver- 
ing heart  of  Africa  must  now  be  added  the  sad 
story  of  the  introduction  of  intoxicants,  which  to 
our  amazement  and  sorrow  have  come  to  us  from 
lands  of  Christian  light,  although  brought  by  the 
hands  of  unchristian  greed.  We  have  wondered 
if  this  new  era  would  not  bring  us  also  our  share 
of  those  *'  good  tidings  of  great  joy  which  shall 
be  to  all  people."  Here  and  there  around  the 
vast  circle  of  our  seacoasts  there  are  already  cen- 
ters of  light,  which  have  moved  inward  at  some 
points  as  if  to  illumine  the  central  darkness.  But, 
after  all,  these  centers  of  light  are  few  in  compari- 
son with  our  need,  and  the  movements  of  Chris- 
tianity in  our  behalf  seem  to  be  slow  and  inade- 
quate. We  are  thankful  for  the  lives  and  labors 
of  some  of  the  world's  noblest  missionaries.  We 
see  in  them,  and  in  others  who  have  come  to 
carry  on  their  work,  what  Christianity  can  do  for 
man,  and  our  own  hearts  yearn  toward  this  far-off 
ideal. 

The  brief  history  of  Christian  missions  in  Africa 
has  in  it  less  of  discouragement  than  would  natu- 


THE  PRESENT  VISION.  1 1 7 

rally  be  expected.  We  point  to  the  trophies  of 
the  Gospel  in  South  Africa,  where  the  vener- 
ated Moffat  labored,  to  our  martyrs  in  Uganda, 
to  such  fruitful  institutions  as  Lovedale,  and 
the  Gordon  Memorial,  and  the  Huguenot  Semi- 
nary at  Wellington,  and  to  the  results  of  evan- 
gelistic and  educational  work  in  Egypt,  Uganda, 
Livingstonia,  Transvaal,  Madagascar,  South  Af- 
rica, the  Congo,  Gaboon,  and  the  valley  of  the 
Niger.  The  London  Missionary  Society  has 
51,250  African  names  on  its  church  rolls;  the 
Wesleyan  Missionary  Society,  18,000;  the  Berlin 
Missionary  Society,  1 1,456  ;  the  Church  Mission- 
ary Society,  8700 ;  the  Paris  Evangelical  Society, 
9662;  the  United  Presbyterians,  3571;  the 
American  Presbyterians  at  Gaboon,  1563;  and 
the  American  Board,  1300.  A  little  handful  of 
101,000  have  been  redeemed  in  Africa,  while 
Christian  missions  have  touched  in  all  a  million 
of  our  people.  Yet  there  is  a  tract  in  the  interior 
north  of  the  Congo,  as  large  as  all  Europe,  with- 
out a  single  missionary.  The  religion  of  Islam 
has  brought  no  blessing  to  Africa,  and  it  can  never 
regenerate  our  people.  Wherever  it  has  made 
for  itself  a  pathway   among    us   it   is   found   to 


1 1 8      FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

be  associated  with  polygamy  and  slavery.  The 
former  is  an  old  curse  of  Africa,  and  the  latter 
has  never  been  so  cruel,  so  blighting,  and  so 
bloody  as  by  the  hand  of  the  Arab  Mohammedan. 
We  hear  that  the  discovery  of  America  four 
hundred  years  ago  had  in  it  the  making  of  a  na- 
tion where  civilization,  freedom,  and  moral  culture 
have  ripened  and  bloomed  as  never  before  in  the 
history  of  the  world.  We  believe  that  this  has 
all  happened  under  the  inspiration  of  Christianity, 
and  now  at  the  opening  hour  of  our  own  era  of 
progress  we  pray  for  a  mighty  infusion  at  the 
outset  of  Christian  instruction  and  guidance,  that 
our  own  Columbian  future  may  have  in  it  the 
power  of  that  heaven-sent  religion  whose  mission 
it  is  to  regenerate  the  world.  As  Columbus  sailed 
across  the  seas  to  America,  so  Livingstone  and 
Stanley  and  the  noble  missionaries  of  recent  years 
have  trod  the  silent  paths  of  the  African  forests, 
and  have  brought  to  us  the  very  Bible  that  is 
enshrined  in  the  modern  history  of  Christendom. 
We  plead  for  the  religion  of  Christ.  Who  like 
us  can  plead  from  such  depths  of  need?  Who 
can  reveal  such  a  pitiful  past  to  give  urgency  to 
the  prayer  ?     Who  can  show  such  present  wrongs 


THE  PRESENT  VISION.  1 19 

in  the  slave-trade  and  the  traffic  in  rum,  and  such 
new  perils  from  the  very  presence  of  civilization, 
as  we  who  implore,  not  the  worst,  but  the  best 
that  you  can  give  us? 

Come  over  and  help  Africa. 

From  the  great  continent  of  Africa  we  turn  to 
the  Turkish  Empire,  the  heart  of  the  Moham- 
medan world.  Since  the  Mohammedan  conquest 
in  the  seventh  century  Moslem  power  has  been 
predominant  in  western  Asia,  and  since  the  es- 
tablishment of  Turkish  supremacy  in  the  thir- 
teenth century  these  fair  lands  of  the  Levant 
have  been  dominated  by  the  Turkish  government. 
The  rule  of  the  Turks  has  brought  no  hope  or  in- 
spiration to  the  subject  Christian  races,  and  the 
haughty  and  fanatical  Islamic  spirit  has  been 
a  constant  menace  to  the  rights  of  Christian 
populations,  who  have  lived  in  abject  deference 
to  the  ruling  Moslem  power.  The  wide  and 
absolute  supremacy  of  the  Turk  has  been  much 
curtailed  within  the  past  half-century,  and  yet  he 
is  still  the  civil  and  military  ruler  of  the  Christian 
races  of  his  empire,  and  claims,  moreover,  abso- 
lute lordship  over  the  consciences  of  his  Moslem 


120     FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

constituency.  The  progress  of  religious  liberty 
in  Turkey  has  had  a  notable  advance  during  the 
past  fifty  years,  and  yet  the  results  are  rather 
theoretical  than  practical,  as  the  strong  hand  of 
religious  bigotry  and  military  power  still  rests 
upon  every  Moslem,  and  he  accepts  Christianity 
only  at  his  imminent  personal  peril.  The  Chris- 
tian races  of  the  empire  have  been  expected  sim- 
ply to  exist  upon  sufferance,  and  while  their  relig- 
ion has  been  tolerated  freely  among  themselves, 
it  was  with  the  understanding  that  they  should 
not  assert  themselves  or  assume  toward  the  gov- 
ernment any  other  attitude  than  that  of  abject 
humility  and  constructive  non-existence. 

Missionary  enterprise  entered  Turkey  in  a  quiet 
and  almost  unnoticed  way  some  seventy  years 
ago,  when  missionaries  from  the  American  Board 
first  landed  at  Smyrna  in  1820  and  in  Pales- 
tine in  1 82 1.  Since  then  slow  but  steady  prog- 
ress has  been  made,  very  largely  under  Amer- 
ican auspices,  until  of  late  years  magnificent 
and  inspiring  results  have  developed,  and  the 
Turkish  Empire  has  been  the  scene  of  the  par- 
tial regeneration  and  revival  of  the  old  Chris- 
tian races,   who  have  caught  the  inspiration  of 


THE  PRESENT  VISION.        -  121 

the  age  from  the  missionaries,  and  under  the 
stimulus  of  education  and  the  upHfting  power  of 
biblical  Christianity  have  become  the  leading 
races  of  the  empire.  The  Mohammedan  popu- 
lations have  kept  up  the  old  Islamic  spirit,  cher- 
ishing their  haughty  self-complacency,  living  in 
an  atmosphere  of  religious  pride,  and  boasting  of 
their  political  ascendency.  The  Oriental  Chris- 
tian Churches,  meanwhile,  have  been  the  scene 
of  one  of  the  noblest  and  most  substantial  mis- 
sionary triumphs  of  the  past  century.  The  Chris- 
tian races  of  the  Orient  have  responded  quickly 
and  vigorously  to  the  touch  of  a  living  Christianity. 
Colleges  and  schools  for  both  sexes  have  been 
established.  The  Bible  has  been  translated,  and 
a  religious  literature  created.  Churches  have 
been  established,  and  generations  of  the  young 
have  been  trained  in  Bible  knowledge.  The  re- 
sult is  that  the  Christian  races  are  now  leading  in 
the  intellectual  progress  and  modern  development 
of  the  empire,  to  the  dismay  and  chagrin  of  the 
Moslem  element. 

The  Turkish  government  has  taken  offense  at 
the  impulse  which  the  Christian  subjects  of  the 
Porte  have  received  from  missions,  and  is  thor- 


122      FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

oughly  alarmed  by  this  silent  revolution  which 
has  come  without  excitement,  and  almost  without 
observation,  and  is  irresistibly  reversing  the  rela- 
tions of  the  Moslem  and  the  Christian.  The  pol- 
icy of  the  Turkish  government  has  been  increas- 
ingly inimical  and  aggressive  in  its  attacks  upon 
mission  work.  It  has  endeavored  to  close  schools ; 
to  suppress  literature ;  to  deal  a  staggering  blow 
to  the  rising  ascendency  of  the  awakening  Chris- 
tian element  of  the  empire.  The  American  col- 
leges are  all  under  suspicion;  mission  churches 
are  regarded  with  disfavor;  village  schools  are 
especially  disliked.  The  energy,  intelligence,  and 
hopefulness  of  these  despised  subject  races  have 
become  too  pronounced  to  be  longer  endured. 
Turkish  dominion  must  assert  itself  anew,  and 
must  bring  again  into  moral,  intellectual,  and 
civil  subjection  these  rising  nationalities  that  have 
always  sat  in  silence  at  the  feet  of  the  haughty 
Moslem.  The  Christian  world  has  here  an  inter- 
esting and  fascinating  drama  of  contemporaneous 
history  to  study.  The  story  of  the  Moslem  and 
the  Christian  has  its  pathetic  past,  and  it  has  also 
its  stirring  present.  An  acute  and  startling  phase 
of  this  conflict  is  hastening  on.     The  Christian 


THE  PRESENT  VISION.  123 

has  the  Providence  of  God,  the  power  of  educa- 
tion, the  inspiration  of  a  reHgious  reformation,  the 
impulse  and  stir  of  modern  thought,  the  public 
sentiment  of  the  age,  and  the  sympathies  of 
Christendom  on  his  side.  He  has  a  haughty 
and  long- dominant  foe  to  deal  with,  and  the  im- 
memorial ascendency  of  the  Moslem  will  never 
yield  without  a  desperate  struggle. 

Deeper  than  this  question  of  Christian  revival 
is  that  of  liberty  of  conscience  to  Moslems  them- 
selves. This  is  stoutly  and  defiantly  denied  to 
them  by  the  Sultan,  and  by  the  whole  religious 
and  military  power  of  Islam.  With  the  inspiration 
and  glow  of  a  living  Christianity  must  inevitably 
come  the  problem  of  a  Moslem's  possible  attitude 
toward  Christianity.  There  can  be  but  one  goal ; 
there  will  be  but  one  final  solution  of  this  great 
question.  It  must  end  sooner  or  later  in  entire 
and  untrammeled  reHgious  freedom  for  every 
soul  in  western  Asia.  The  world  moves  on  to- 
ward light  and  freedom.  No  human  will  and 
no  human  sword  can  stay  its  advance.  Christian 
missions  in  the  Orient  have  had  in  the  past,  and 
have  still  in  the  present,  a  great  duty  in  reestab- 
lishing a  pure   and   biblical   Christianity   in    the 


124     FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

East.  The  further  and  perhaps  mightier  task 
of  securing  the  supremacy  of  Christianity  over 
all  hearts  must  also  be  taken  up.  Where  the 
sword  of  the  Moslem  waved  in  victory  in  the 
seventh  century,  "  the  sword  of  the  Spirit,  which 
is  the  Word  of  God,"  must  win  its  triumphs  in 
the  twentieth.  A  half- century  of  preparation 
has  already  wrought  wonderful  changes,  and  all 
things  are  now  in  readiness  for  a  rapid  and  vig- 
orous and  successful  advance  toward  the  goal  of 
all  true  missionary  effort.  Let  us  listen  to  the 
appeal  which  is  presented  to  us  on  behalf  of  evan- 
gelical Christianity  in  the  East.  The  yearnings  of 
awakened  multitudes  are  voiced  to  us  as  follows : 
We  are  living  in  Bible  lands,  but  we  are  sadly 
destitute  of  Bible  Christianity.  We  desire  deliv- 
erance from  the  religious  tyranny  of  the  Christian 
hierarchy  of  bishops  and  priests,  and  from  the  for- 
mality and  superstition  of  Oriental  Christianity. 
We  look  especially  to  America,  since  God  in  His 
providence  has  committed  our  spiritual  welfare 
to  the  hands  of  the  American  churches.  We  re- 
joice in  the  success  which  has  attended  the  labors 
of  American  missionaries  throughout  the  Turkish 
Empire.     Within  fifty  years  they  have  given  us 


THE  PRESENT  VISION.  1 25 

the  Bible  in  eight  different  languages.  A  Prot- 
estant community  of  80,000,  of  whom  18,000  are 
communicants,  now  exists  in  Turkey,  and  the  na- 
tive churches  number  200.  There  are  six  Amer- 
ican colleges  located  at  different  points  in  the 
empire.  The  total  of  students  is  1200.  Seventy 
students  are  in  training  for  the  ministry.  Educa- 
tion has  been  steadily  pushed,  through  village 
schools,  of  which  there  are  now  700,  with  50,000 
children.  Our  native  languages  before  the  com- 
ing "of  missionaries  were  barren  and  empty  so  far 
as  saving  truth  and  modern  knowledge  were  con- 
cerned. The  mission  presses  now  print  about 
40,000,000  pages  annually,  and  over  one  half  of 
these  are  pages  of  God's  Word.  Medical  mis- 
sionaries have  rendered  a  blessed  service,  and 
thousands  are  helped  continually  by  their  heal- 
ing touch.  We  plead  for  Christian  literature  on 
behalf  of  the  fifty  millions  who  speak  the  Arabic 
language,  and  who  look  to  the  American  Mission 
Press  in  Beirut  for  the  Word  of  Life.  We  plead 
for  evangelical  religion  on  behalf  of  those  who 
have  been  taught  of  man  rather  than  of  God,  and 
whose  Christianity  has  hitherto  been  so  sadly  cor- 
rupted by  external  ceremonialism  and  vain  super- 


126      FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

stition.  We  plead  on  behalf  of  our  children,  that 
they  may  have  the  advantages  of  Christian  edu- 
cation. We  point  to  the  harvest  which  has  been 
already  gathered,  the  first-fruits  of  that  great  re- 
ligious reformation  which  is  coming,  "  It  is  day- 
break everywhere"  throughout  the  Turkish  Em- 
pire, and  with  the  coming  of  the  day  we  hope  for 
providential  changes  which  will  give  full  scope  to 
the  intellectual  and  spiritual  aspirations  that  have 
been  kindled  through  the  return  of  a  biblical 
Christianity  to  the  land  of  its  birth.  When  our 
day  of  deliverance  comes  we  shall  hope  to  stand 
alone,  and  to  become  ourselves  centers  of  mission- 
ary activity  in  the  East.  At  present  we  are  too 
weak  and  too  helpless  under  the  shadow  of  irre- 
sponsible power  to  carry  our  burdens  and  fight 
our  battles  alone.  We  still  need  the  American 
missionary,  with  his  moral  stamina,  his  civil  stand- 
ing, his  courage,  his  faith,  his  energy,  his  varied 
resources,  and  his  financial  backing.  His  work 
among  us  has  attained  a  magnificent  and  perma- 
nent impulse,  and  we  beg  for  your  constant  and 
unwearied  efforts  at  this  critical  period  in  the  his- 
tory of  the  revival  of  Christianity  in  Bible  lands. 
God  has  chosen  American  Christians  to  be  the 


THE  PRESENT  VISION.  1 27 

saviors  of  Christianity  in  the  East,  and  a  saved 
and  regenerated  Christianity  in  Eastern  lands  will 
become  a  mighty  and  aggressive  power  in  com- 
mending Christ  and  His  Gospel  to  those  who 
have  long  rejected  it  with  defiance  and  scorn. 
The  time  is  soon  coming  when  we  shall  surely 
need  all  the  moral  support  and  the  national  sym- 
pathy that  we  are  sure  American  Christianity  will 
give  in  our  time  of  trial.  We  shall  hope  to  be 
found  faithful,  and  one  of  the  sources  of  our 
strength  and  hope  will  be  the  prayers  and  sym- 
pathies of  Christian  America,  by  whose  ministry 
we  have  learned  again  of  Christ  and  His  Gospel. 
Come  over  and  help  the  TURKISH  Empire. 

To  the  eastward  of  the  Turkish  Empire  is 
Persia,  a  land  which  was  an  integral  part  of  the 
ancient  Medo- Persian  Empire,  and  whose  present 
condition  resembles  in  many  respects  the  sister- 
empire  of  Turkey.  Its  area  is  estimated  at  628,- 
800  square  miles,  about  three  times  the  size  of 
France.  Its  population  is  about  9,000,000,  of 
which  nearly  2,000,000  are  nomadic.  Its  prom- 
inent races  are  the  Turks,  Persians,  Arabs,  and 
Kurds.      The   Mohammedans  of   Persia  number 


128      FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

8,000,000,  but  they  are  mostly  of  the  Shiah  sect ; 
the  Armenian  population  is  about  43,000,  and 
the  Nestorian  23,000.  Until  the  third  century 
of  the  Christian  era  the  Armenian,  Nestorian,  and 
Persian  Churches  were  in  existence,  but  in  the 
fourth  century  a  terrible  persecution  swept  over 
these  Christian  Churches,  annihilating  the  Persian 
branch,  and  leaving  only  the  remnants  of  the 
Armenian  and  Nestorian.  These  ancient,  historic 
Churches  have  survived  in  a  corrupt  and  feeble 
state  until  the  present  day,  when  Protestant  mis- 
sions have  occupied  Persia,  and,  with  the  Arme- 
nian and  Nestorian  Churches  as  a  basis,  have  en- 
tered upon  a  missionary  campaign. 

Henry  Martyn,  a  chaplain  in  India,  came  to 
Shiraz  in  Persia  in  181 1,  where  he  spent  nearly 
a  year  working  upon  the  translation  of  the  New 
Testament  into  Persian.  It  was  finished  in  1812, 
and  Martyn  ended  his  work  with  the  following 
prayer :  '*  Now  may  the  Spirit  who  gave  the 
Word,  and  called  me,  I  trust,  to  be  an  interpreter 
of  it,  graciously  and  powerfully  apply  it  to  the 
hearts  of  sinners,  even  to  gathering  an  elect  peo- 
ple from  the  long- estranged  Persians."  Martyn 
left  the  country  on  September  12,  1812,  for  Eng- 


THE  PRESENT  VISION.  129 

land,  without  any  knowledge  of  a  single  Christian 
convert  in  Persia,  and  stopping  at  Tocat,  Asia 
Minor,  en  route,  died  after  a  week's  illness,  and 
was  buried  there. 

Rev.  C.  G.  Pfander,  of  the  Basle  Missionary 
Society,  followed  in  1829,  but  when  in  1834 
Georgia  was  annexed  by  Russia,  the  missionaries 
were  expelled.  In  1833  Rev.  Frederick  Haas 
began  mission  work  at  Tabriz,  but  left  in  1837. 
The  mission  of  the  American  Board  was  com- 
menced in  1834,  and  has  been  conducted  with 
energy  and  devotion  under  the  care  of  that  so- 
ciety until  1 87 1,  and  since  by  the  Presbyterian 
Board  of  Foreign  Missions  of  the  United  States, 
to  whom  at  that  time  it  was  transferred.  The 
Church  Missionary  Society  in  1875  formally 
adopted  a  mission  which  had  been  started  by 
Rev.  Dr.  Bruce  in  1869.  They  have  stations  at 
present  at  Julfa  and  Bagdad.  In  1869  what  has 
been  known  as  the  *'  Archbishop's  Mission  to  the 
Assyrian  Christians  "  was  founded.  Its  object  is 
rather  the  restoration  of  the  old  Nestorian  Church 
than  an  incisive  and  thorough  conversion  of  the 
people  to  spiritual  and  biblical  forms  of  Chris- 
tianity.    The  historical  pedigree  of  the  Nestorian 


130     FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

Church  is  regarded  by  the  patrons  of  the  Arch- 
bishop's Mission  as  so  satisfactory  and  unexcep- 
tionable that  its  spiritual  degeneracy  does  not 
seem  to  call  for  a  radical  and  thorough  evangel- 
ical reformation,  but  only  for  a  reestablishment 
of  the  old  organization  and  a  quickening  of  its 
ancient  forms. 

The  progress  of  mission  work  in  Persia  has 
been  attended  with  many  difficulties.  Moslem 
fanaticism,  backed  by  the  government,  is  alert 
and  virulent.  The  Christian  hierarchy  is  also 
jealous  and  unscrupulous  in  opposition.  Much 
has  been  accomplished,  however,  in  establishing 
a  pure  Christian  Church  in  these  ancient  seats  of 
early  Christian  history.  Persecutions  on  the  part 
of  the  Moslem  authorities,  and  especially  the  fa- 
natical populace,  have  been  frequent  and  severe, 
and  only  the  past  year  has  revealed  in  the  story 
of  Mirza  Ibrahim  a  record  of  heroism  and  fearless 
devotion  to  religious  conviction  which  has  ended 
in  his  martyrdom  in  a  Persian  prison. 

The  revised  Syriac  Bible  has  recently  been  is- 
sued under  the  superintendence  of  Rev.  Dr.  Ben- 
jamin Labaree,  at  the  expense  of  the  American 
Bible  Society.     The  past  year  has  been  one  of 


THE  PRESENT  VISION.  131 

severe  strain,  on  account  of  the  prevalence  of 
cholera,  by  which  it  is  estimated  that  50,000 
people  died.  The  heroism  of  an  American  lady 
physician,  Miss  Mary  Bradford,  of  Tabriz,  was 
the  means  of  saving  many  lives,  and  was  an  in- 
spiring illustration  of  that  courage  and  devotion 
which  Christian  womanhood  has  revealed  upon 
the  foreign  mission  field.  During  recent  years 
throughout  a  rapidly  widening  sphere,  a  new  and 
powerful  impulse  has  been  given  to  the  cause  of 
world-wide  missions  by  the  magnetic  influence  and 
the  sweet  ministry  of  woman.  She  has  lovingly 
assumed  an  ever  increasing  share  of  toil  and  re- 
sponsibility. A  message  from  Persia  voices  to  us 
the  Macedonian  call  of  that  distant  land  as  follows : 
We  are  far  removed  from  the  touch  of  Western 
civilization,  and  yet  recent  years  have  brought 
us,  to  an  unexpected  extent,  some  of  the  advan- 
tages of  the  modern  world.  Our  cry,  however, 
is  not  for  mere  civilization — we  want  the  Gospel 
of  Christ.  American  missionaries  have  sought  us 
out,  and  have  brought  to  us  the  teachings  of  the 
Bible  and  the  benefits  of  education  and  the  min- 
istry of  healing.  We  have  churches  and  schools 
and  hospitals.     Men   and  women  of  noble  and 


132      FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

lovely  characters  have  spent  their  lives  among  us 
as  the  messengers  of  your  American  churches. 
They  have  trained  our  native  preachers  and  teach- 
ers, so  that  we  have  361  native  Christians  engaged 
in  mission  work.  We  have  3  7  organized  churches, 
and  many  more  places  where  the  Gospel  is 
preached.  The  communicants  gathered  into  our 
mission  churches  number  2443,  while  3341  of  our 
children  are  under  mission  instruction.  These 
statistics  but  faintly  represent  the  influence  of 
evangelical  Christianity.  A  new  era  has  dawned, 
and  the  hope  of  a  wider  and  more  quickening 
Christian  revival  throughout  Persia  is  kindling 
our  hearts.  We  are  a  little  group  of  Christ's 
followers  in  the  midst  of  an  overshadowing  and 
overwhelming  hostile  element,  but  our  influence 
over  our  Mohammedan  fellow-countrymen  has 
not  been  without  its  results,  and  we  plead  for 
help  to  go  forward  with  firmness  and  energy,  and 
with  God's  blessing  we  shall  yet  have  a  noble 
part  in  the  victories  of  the  Gospel  over  its  giant 
Moslem  foe.      Come  over  and  help  PERSIA. 

From  western  Asia  we  now  cross  the  seas  to 
the  Western  world,  and  before  us  is  the  continent 
of  South  America.     A  Macedonian  cry  of  con- 


THE  PRESENT  VISION.  133 

tinental  proportions  again  sounds  upon  our  ears. 
South  America  has  been  called  in  its  missionary 
aspects  ''  The  Neglected  Continent."  It  is  a  vast 
region  of  the  earth,  over  which  the  deepest  shad- 
ows of  Romanism  have  rested  for  centuries.  The 
need  of  Gospel  light  and  instruction  is  pitiful. 
The  reign  of  ignorance  and  superstition  is  despotic 
and  unchallenged.  The  total  area  of  the  conti- 
nent is  nearly  7,000,000  square  miles,  and  its  pop- 
ulation is  estimated  at  34,000,000.  It  consists 
largely  of  Spanish  and  Portuguese  mixed  races, 
numbering  about  23,000,000,  while  there  are 
about  3,000,000  Negro  freemen  and  4,000,000 
pagan  Indians.  It  is  a  continent  largely  of  re- 
publics, numbering  ten  in  all,  the  only  exceptions 
being  the  provinces  of  Dutch,  French,  and  British 
Guiana  on  the  northeast  coast.  The  natural  feat- 
ures are  on  a  scale  of  magnificence  unexcelled 
by  any  other  section  of  the  world.  Chief  among 
these  physical  wonders  is  the  river  system,  com- 
prising the  Orinoco,  the  La  Plata,  and  the  Ama- 
zon, the  latter  being  the  largest  river  of  the 
world,  with  25,000  miles  of  navigable  water-way, 
penetrating  the  continent  in  every  direction  to 
the  base  of  the  Andes.  The  mountain  system  is 
equally  grand. 


134      FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY, 

The  continent  was  discovered  A.D.  1500  by  a 
Portuguese  navigator,  so  that  its  Columbian  anni- 
versary is  only  eight  years  later  than  that  of  our 
own  continent;  but  the  destiny  of  the  northern 
and  southern  divisions  of  the  Western  world  has 
been  marvelously  different.  North  America  has 
developed  under  Puritan  influences ;  South  Amer- 
ica has  been  under  the  sway  of  Papal  power. 
One  has  been  largely  Protestant ;  the  other  has 
been  wholly  Romish.  The  development  in  the 
north  has  been  along  the  lines  of  freedom,  intelli- 
gence, and  morality,  under  the  enlightened  train- 
ing of  a  spiritual  and  biblical  form  of  Christianity. 
The  result  in  the  south  has  been  marred  and 
shadowed  by  priestly  tyranny,  gross  ignorance, 
and  defective  moraHty,  combined  with  supersti- 
tious bigotry  and  the  lowest  forms  of  external  and 
hollow  ceremonialism.  The  spirit  of  the  Inquisi- 
tion still  hides  in  the  Papal  system  of  South  Amer- 
ica. The  blind  intolerance  of  medieval  Romanism 
still  fights  for  supremacy,  and  the  battle  of  the 
age  for  liberty  of  conscience  is  yet  to  be  fought 
and  won  in  a  large  portion  of  the  southern  con- 
tinent. 

The   pioneer  missionaries    to    South  America 


THE  PRESENT  nSION.  1 35 

were  the  Moravians,  who  entered  Dutch  Guiana 
in  1735,  and  after  a  long  and  weary  struggle  with 
the  deadly  climate  finally  established  a  work 
which  has  resulted  in  missionary  efforts  that  have 
made  the  three  Guianas  the  brightest  lands  on 
the  South  American  continent.  In  1854  a  final 
entrance  was  secured  to  Tierra  del  Fuego,  after 
the  heroic  struggles  of  Allen  Gardiner  and  his 
companions  had  closed  with  the  tragic  story  of 
their  death.  Thus  the  continent  in  its  northern 
and  southern  extremities  was  consecrated  to  mis- 
sionary effort  by  heroic  exhibitions  of  the  martyr 
spirit.  Since  then  various  mission  agencies  have 
entered,  until  at  the  present  time  it  is  occu- 
pied by  seventeen  societies,  as  follows :  the 
southern  branches  of  the  American  Baptist, 
Presbyterian,  and  Methodist  Episcopal,  and  the 
northern  branches  of  the  American  Presbyte- 
rian and  Methodist  Episcopal  Churches,  the  Lon- 
don Missionary  Society,  the  British  and  Foreign 
Bible  Society,  the  American  Bible  Society,  the 
American  Episcopal,  the  Moravian,  and  the  South 
American  Missionary  Society,  besides  Bishop 
Taylor's  Mission,  the  Help  for  Brazil  Society,  the 
West  Indian  Conference,  the  Society  for  the  Prop- 


136     FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

agation  of  the  Gospel,  the  Plymouth  Brethren, 
and  the  Salvation  Army.  An  effort  to  estab- 
tablish  still  another  centre  of  work  is  about 
to  be  made  by  a  band  of  young  men  recently 
graduated  from  the  missionary  training-college  of 
Dr.  Guinness,  in  East  London.  Their  objective 
point  is  Peru,  one  of  the  most  neglected  places 
upon  the  continent,  where,  as  in  the  case  of  Ven- 
ezuela, Ecuador,  and  Bolivia,  there  is  practically 
no  missionary  work  in  operation.  Let  us  listen 
now  to  the  message  of  "  The  Neglected  Conti- 
nent," which  comes  to  us  as  follows : 

We  regard  our  appeal  as  a  Macedonian  cry  in 
a  sense  as  significant  and  historic  as  any  which 
reaches  the  ear  of  the  Christian  Church  from  any 
other  section  of  the  earth.  We  consider  our  ap- 
peal, at  least  to  the  American  Churches,  as  con- 
taining this  special  element  of  urgency,  that  we 
are  in  a  sense  neighbors,  and  therefore  plead  the 
interests  of  those  who  for  this  reason  should  not 
be  forgotten  in  the  missionary  plans  of  your  home 
churches.  We  have  modeled  our  systems  of 
government  after  the  example  of  the  American 
republic,  and  we  have  ten  great  States  having 
constitutions    framed    after   the    pattern    of   our 


THE  PRESENT  VISION.  137 

mighty  sister- republic  of  the  north,  although  we 
must  confess  that  republican  institutions  are  not 
as  yet  regarded  by  us  with  that  sense  of  personal 
responsibility  and  that  reverence  for  truth  and 
righteousness  which  are  the  only  safeguards  of 
popular  government.  We  have  learned  that  a 
republican  form  of  government  will  not  in  itself 
create  and  mold  a  great  nation.  We  need  the 
Bible  and  the  religion  of  the  Bible,  and  the  en- 
lightening and  uplifting  power  of  biblical  morality, 
to  give  to  the  republics  of  South  America  the 
stability,  the  moral  earnestness,  and  the  Christian 
patriotism  of  the  favored  nation  of  the  north. 

A  careful  study  of  our  religious  state  will  con- 
vince the  conscientious  student  of  missions  that 
our  need  is  disproportionately  great,  and  that  we 
have  not  received  that  attention  from  the  friends 
of  Christian  missions  which  our  destitute  condition 
deserves.  Some  of  our  large  countries  are  still 
practically  untouched  by  any  serious  effort  on  the 
part  of  the  Protestant  Churches.  Ecuador,  with 
a  population  of  over  a  million,  has  no  missionary ; 
Bolivia,  with  a  population  of  2,300,000,  is  also 
without  a  missionary  ;  Venezuela,  with  a  popula- 
tion of  over  2,000,000,  has  only  one  Protestant 


138     FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

missionary ;  Peru,  with  a  population  of  3,000,000, 
has  only  one  missionary  with  a  few  native  help- 
ers; Colombia,  with  a  population  of  4,000,000, 
has  only  eleven  missionaries ;  Brazil,  with  a  pop- 
ulation of  1 4,000,000,  has  eighty-one  missionaries ; 
and  a  comparative  presentation  of  our  need  with 
that  of  other  lands  where  foreign  missions  have 
entered  would  reveal  the  fact  that  of  all  the 
countries  where  work  has  been  established  hardly 
any  is  so  poorly  supplied  with  men  and  resources 
as  the  continent  of  South  America.  It  is  not  an 
exaggeration  to  state  that  we  have  30,000,000 
people  practically  untouched  by  missionary  effort. 
The  total  number  of  missionaries  at  work  in 
South  America,  including  men  and  women,  is 
not  more  than  325,  and  the  communicants  do 
not  exceed  15,000;  yet  in  some  sections  where 
the  work  has  been  pushed  with  aggressive  energy, 
as  in  Brazil,  there  has  been  a  manifest  response, 
and  a  spirit  of  individual  responsibility  and  local 
interest  has  led  to  the  formation  of  a  national 
organization  of  Protestant  Churches,  from  which 
good  results  are  hoped  for  in  the  future.  In 
Chili  also  the  work  of  the  American  Presbyterian 
missionaries  has  assumed  a  hopeful  aspect,  and 


THE  PRESENT  VISION.  1 39 

even  in  the  midst  of  civil  strife  and  turbulence 
progress  has  been  made.  We  desire  a  better  and 
nobler  religious  Hfe,  and  we  have  no  hope  of 
obtaining  it  except  through  a  stronger  infusion 
of  biblical  truth,  and  a  purer  exemplification  of 
righteous  living  on  the  part  of  our  religious  lead- 
ers and  of  our  entire  Christian  population  than  we 
have  ever  yet  had  under  Papal  auspices. 

South  America  is  sadly  destitute  of  evangel- 
ical religion,  lying  in  the  deepest  depths  of  me- 
dieval apostasy,  and  only  the  Spirit  of  the  Living 
God  and  the  inspiring  contact  of  the  Living 
Word  can  arouse  and  refresh  us  with  the  sweet 
uplifting  power  of  spiritual  Christianity.  Our  cry 
for  help,  while  it  is  not  that  of  heathenism,  is 
just  as  earnest  and  intense  as  the  mightiest  ap- 
peal of  lands  that  are  utterly  shrouded  in  dark- 
ness. We  are  as  destitute  of  spiritual,  saving 
Christianity  as  those  who  have  never  heard  the 
Gospel  message  of  salvation.  Co7}ie  over  quickly 
and  help  SOUTH  America, 

From  South  America  we  turn  northward  and 
traverse  the  Central  American  States  to  Mexico. 
On  every  side  there  is  the  same  woful  need  of 


140     FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

missionary  effort.  Through  all  Central  America, 
consisting  of  the  five  httle  republics  of  Honduras, 
Guatemala,  Nicaragua,  Costa  Rica,  and  San  Sal- 
vador, there  are  signs  of  the  unbounded  influence 
and  unchallenged  dominion  of  the  Papal  Church. 
A  spirit  of  toleration,  however,  is  in  the  air,  and 
religion  is  becoming  less  and  less  a  matter  of 
State  regulation.  Freedom  of  conscience  is  win- 
ning recognition  more  and  more.  The  Wesleyan 
Church  of  England,  the  Moravians,  and  the  Pres- 
byterian Church  (North)  have  already  established 
missions  in  Central  America,  and  some  other  mi- 
nor societies  have  inaugurated  work  there,  but 
in  San  Salvador,  with  a  population  of  777,895, 
there  is  still  not  a  single  voice  from  all  neighbor- 
ing Christendom  proclaiming  the  glad  tidings. 

As  we  enter  Mexico  we  come  in  contact  with 
a  story  of  civil  progress  and  missionary  success 
which  is  an  occasion  for  gratitude,  and  gives  large 
hope  for  the  future.  Within  a  generation  a  down- 
trodden and  priest-ridden  nation  has  won  civil 
liberty  and  come  out  into  the  light  of  modern 
republican  civilization.  Protestant  missions  fully 
established  twenty-one  years  ago  have  just  come 
of   age    in    our    neighboring   republic.      Twelve 


THE  PRESENT  VISION.  141 

missionary  societies  are  already  at  work  there, 
with  a  record  full  of  promise.  The  missionary 
statistics  of  Mexico  yield  such  encouraging  results 
as  the  following: 

There  are  385  organized  churches,  177  foreign 
missionaries,  512  native  workers,  16,250  com- 
municants, 50,000  adherents,  over  7000  of  the 
young  under  instruction  in  mission  schools,  and 
over  10,000  in  Sabbath-schools.  Literary  agen- 
cies have  not  been  neglected.  During  the  last 
year  the  agent  of  the  American  Bible  Society 
sold  4361  Bibles,  7475  Testaments,  and  9240 
Gospels. 

The  government  is  professedly  friendly,  and 
guarantees  full  protection  to  its  citizens,  and  is 
ready  to  forcibly  interdict  all  religious  persecu- 
tion. The  advance  of  Mexico  in  material,  com- 
mercial, educational,  economic,  and  international 
respects  has  been  phenomenal,  and  there  is  an 
open  door  for  aggressive  missionary  effort.  The 
appeal  of  Mexico  is  brief  but  urgent,  as  follows : 

Our  interests  are  largely  identified  with  those 
of  the  great  republic.  We  look  to  the  Christian 
Churches  of  America  to  give  us  sympathy  and 
help  in  our  struggles  to  throw  off  the  dominion 


142      FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

of  our  Papal  masters,  who  have  ruled  us  to  our 
detriment  and  misery  for  centuries.  We  have 
caught  now  the  spirit  of  free  institutions,  and  we 
believe  in  a  rehgion  of  hght.  We  desire  an  open 
Bible,  a  free  Gospel,  a  living  Christianity,  and  a 
biblical  standard  of  morahty.  Give  us  freely  of 
the  spiritual  help,  and  lead  us  quickly  into  those 
paths  of  peace  and  hope  and  happiness  which 
have  been  the  lot  of  Christian  America.  We 
think  that  we  can  absorb  all  that  you  can  give 
us,  and  we  beg  that  without  delay  we  may  have 
a  generous  share  of  the  spiritual  riches  of  the 
pure  Gospel.     Co7ne  over  and  help  Mexico. 

Were  there  space  to  incorporate  them,  we 
might  record  Macedonian  calls  of  similar  import 
and  urgency  from  other,  though  less  conspicuous, 
portions  of  the  earth,  many  of  them  in  a  still 
more  needy  and  destitute  condition.  We  could 
listen  to  the  appeal  of  some  of  the  larger  islands 
of  the  East  Indies,  of  the  Malay  Peninsula,  Sibe- 
ria, Russia,  Thibet,  Afghanistan,  Baluchistan, 
Arabia,  Greece,  Greenland,  and  the  West  Indies. 
Are  not  the  examples  which  have  been  given, 
however,  sufficient  to  show  the  urgent  and  thrill- 


THE  PRESENT  VISION.  143 

ing  significance  of  this  Macedonian  appeal  to  the 
Church  of  Christ  in  our  present  generation  ?  Let 
me  ask  further,  was  there  anything  in  the  state 
of  the  Roman  Empire  in  the  age  of  the  apostles, 
and  subsequently,  which  made  it  more  important 
that  the  Gospel  should  be  given  to  the  world  then 
than  that  it  should  be  given  to  the  world  now? 
In  truth,  every  great  argument  for  an  aggressive 
and  world-wide  Gospel  which  was  effective  then 
applies  with  equal  pertinency  now.  There  is  the 
same  divine  command  in  existence,  with  its 
authority  unimpaired  and  its  urgency  undimin- 
ished. There  is  the  same  need,  which  has  grown 
even  more  manifest.  There  is  the  same  awful, 
solemn,  pitiful,  and  urgent  fact  of  heathenism. 
There  are  the  same  serious  and  perplexing  obsta- 
cles to  be  overcome.  There  are  the  same  claims 
of  brotherhood,  the  same  possibility  of  rescue,  the 
same  power  and  value  to  the  Gospel,  the  same 
evidential  worth  to  a  triumphant  Christianity,  the 
same  training  and  spiritual  culture  needed  in  the 
Church  and  in  the  personal  character  of  Chris- 
tians. In  fact,  we  cannot  discover  one  single 
claim  which  the  heathenism  of  the  Roman  Em- 
pire could   bring  forward  which  does   not  exist 


144     FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

to-day,  nor  one  single  reason  which  applied  to  the 
Christianity  of  apostolic  times  in  the  interests  of 
aggressive  missions  in  that  day  which  does  not 
apply  with  equal  force  at  the  present  time. 

Let  us  advance  a  step  further,  and  consider 
the  additional  reasons  which  give  even  greater 
urgency  to  the  claims  of  missions  in  our  own  age. 
Compare  our  present  knowledge  of  the  heathen 
world  and  its  needs  with  that  of  earlier  ages. 
How  much  more  is  known  by  us  than  was  known 
even  a  hundred  years  ago,  when  Carey  studied 
these  great  problems!  Consider  the  present 
facilities  of  travel  and  access  to  all  parts  of  the 
known  world,  and  the  resources  of  present  organ- 
ization, either  on  the  field  or  at  home.  There  are 
missionary  societies  at  the  present  time  which  in 
home  administration  and  foreign  resources  and 
facilities  will  compare  favorably  in  organized  effi- 
ciency with  the  foreign  offices  and  state  depart- 
ments of  civilized  governments.  Consider  also 
the  present  international  restraint  which  rests 
upon  hostile  governments  in  their  treatment  of 
foreign  residents,  and  the  possibility  of  missionary 
residence  in  almost  every  foreign  field,  in  easy 


THE  PRESENT  VISION.  145 

and  constant  communication  with  society  and 
churches  and  friends  in  the  home  land.  Note 
also  the  enormous  wealth  of  the  Christian  Church, 
which  can  guarantee  the  support  of  the  mission- 
ary and  his  work,  and  also  the  rising  interest  in 
mission  work,  which  is  a  sustaining  and  cheering 
incitement  to  those  who  labor  in  distant  and  ob- 
scure localities.  No  religious  newspaper  of  the  day 
could  afford,  even  if  it  were  so  inclined,  to  dis- 
pense with  its  missionary  intelligence,  and  in  one 
of  our  most  prominent  religious  weeklies,  which  is 
conducted  with  exceptional  alertness  and  discrim- 
ination, a  special  missionary  department  has  been 
lately  established,  with  a  monthly  budget  of  let- 
ters fresh  from  the  prominent  centers  of  foreign 
missionary  service.  Does  it  not  seem  as  if  our 
Master,  with  the  same  supreme  purpose  in  view, 
and  the  same  promises  and  rewards  for  faithful 
service,  while  making  it  even  more  imperative 
upon  the  Church  of  this  age  to  go  into  all  the 
world  with  the  Gospel  for  every  creature,  was  at 
the  same  time  making  it  a  simpler,  more  inspir- 
ing, and  more  attractive  thing  to  do  ?  And  there- 
by, while  the  cross  is  made  easier,  the  failure  to 


146     FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

take  it  up  and  carry  it  is  made  the  more  con- 
spicuous and  inexcusable  and  disloyal. 

If  the  condition  of  our  fallen  world  was  such  as 
to  call  for  the  sacrifice  of  Christ,  then  the  condi- 
tion of  heathenism  in  our  day  would  require  the 
sacrifice  of  Christ  at  the  present  hour,  had  it 
never  been  made  before.  If  this  Is  true,  then 
this  grand  fact  comes  to  the  front,  that  after 
eighteen  hundred  years  of  delay,  the  Church 
of  Christ,  with  a  finished  atonement,  a  printed 
Bible,  the  cooperation  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  an 
unparalleled  array  of  magnificent  material  re- 
sources, has  the  privilege  of  accomplishing  tri- 
umphantly a  service  which  is  worth  the  sacrifice 
of  the  Son  of  God.  If  Christ  had  never  given 
Himself,  He  would  be  ready  to  do  it  now  for  the 
heathen  world  of  our  own  present  day,  and  what 
He  would  be  willing  to  lay  down  His  life  for  the 
sake  of  accomplishing,  He  calls  upon  His  Church 
to  do  in  His  name,  with  the  surpassing  promise  of 
His  own  presence  and  leadership,  and  the  assur- 
ance of  success.  ''  The  brother  for  whom  Christ 
died,"  says  Paul ;  "  the  brother  for  whom  Christ 
would  die'^  says  the  Spirit  and  Providence  of 
God  to  a  Church  holding  in  her  hands  the  sacred 


THE  PRESENT  VISION.  147 

trust  of  the  Gospel,  and  possessing  the  material 
facilities,  the  spiritual  resources,  and  the  readily 
accessible  power  to  bring  this  world  into  subjec- 
tion to  Christ  before  another  century  of  modern 
missionary  history  shall  close. 


LECTURE  III. 

THE  PRESENT-DAY  CONFLICTS  OF  THE 
FOREIGN  FIELD. 


149 


**7<?  the  missionary  laborer  in  far  lands,  mastering  with  diffi- 
culty unknown  tongues,  surroujided  by  unfamiliar  arts  and  dusky 
faces,  toilitig  for  years  to  tnake  a  few  souls  knozu  something  of 
Him  tvho  taught  in  Palestine,  the  future  is  as  certain  as  if  he 
touched  it ;  and  that  future,  to  his  exulting  expectation,  is  to  be  as 
7'adiant  tmth  glory  as  the  sky  over  Calvary  was  heavy  with  gloom 
— as  resplendent  tvith  lovely  celestial  lights  as  to  his  imagitiation, 
if  you  hold  that  the  faculty  chiefly  concerned,  zuas  the  mount  of 
the  Lo7'd^s  supreme  ascension.  He  expects  long  toil,  and  many 
disasters,  incarnadined  seas,  dreary  zvildernesses,  battles  tvith 
gianis,  a7id  spasms  of  fear  in  the  heart  of  the  CJuirch.  Biit  he 
looks,  as  surely  as  he  looks  for  the  sunrise,  after  nights  of  tejnpest 
a 7td  of  lingering  datvn,  for  the  ultimate  illumination  of  the  world 
by  the  Faith.  And  hozv ever  full  of  din  and  dissonatice  the  his- 
tory of  mankind  has  seemed  hitherto,  seetns  even  to-day,  he  antici- 
pates already  the  harmonies  to  be  in  it,  as  under  the  guidance  of 
Him  of  Galilee  it  d7'aws  toivard  its  predestined  close,  'not  senti- 
mental or  idyllic,  but  epic  and  heroic.''  " 

Rev.  Richard  S.  Storrs,  D.D.,  LL.D. 


150 


III. 


THE    PRESENT-DAY    CONFLICTS    OF    THE    FOR- 
EIGN FIELD. 

Conflict  is  a  condition  of  progress  in  all  great 
reforms.  Reformation  implies  a  struggle  with 
existing  evils.  Great  wrongs  cannot  be  righted, 
nor  crying  evils  remedied,  nor  giant  abuses  cor- 
rected, without  sharp  and  vigorous  contention. 
The  history  of  human  progress  yields  abundant 
testimony  in  support  of  this  statement.  Nations 
have  fought  for  freedom  and  self-government, 
the  people  have  found  deliverance  from  oppress- 
ive taxation,  unjust  discrimination,  and  the  over- 
shadowing claims  of  selfishness,  only  by  agitation 
and  strenuous  opposition.  Restraints  have  been 
put  upon  cruel  customs  and  inhuman  abuses  only 
through  strife.  Society  has  to  fight  against  the 
giant  evils  which  threaten  its  security  and  happi- 
ness ;  it  must  wage  a  perpetual  warfare  with 
crime,  intemperance,  impurity,   anarchy,  political 

151 


152      FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

corruption,  and  socialistic  license.  The  Church 
is  in  perpetual  conflict  with  sacerdotaHsm,  form- 
alism, superstition,  bigotry,  unreasoning  tradi- 
tionalism, and  rationalistic  Hberalism.  Conflict 
is  therefore  a  sign  of  aggressive  efforts  in  every 
sphere  of  reform. 

The  foreign  missionary  enterprise  is  simply  an 
organized  effort  to  accomplish  a  spiritual  refor- 
mation. It  is  a  marshaling  of  religious  and  moral 
forces  for  a  universal  campaign  against  sin  and 
error.  Its  purpose  is  to  dislodge  Satan,  to  de- 
throne superstition,  to  overthrow  human  usurpa- 
tions, to  deliver  man  from  spiritual  slavery,  to  in- 
stitute moral  reforms,  and  to  introduce  the  life- 
giving  and  soul-inspiring  spiritual  energies  of  the 
Gospel  into  the  individual  and  social  and  national 
life  of  peoples  who  have  been  long  under  the  sway 
of  false  teaching,  and  who  are  wedded  to  their  sins 
and  errors.  It  is  a  reform  which  aims  at  sweep- 
ing and  radical  changes,  which  cannot  be  properly 
understood  and  appreciated  at  the  outset  by  the 
unconverted  multitudes.  It  strikes  at  universal 
sin  and  wrong;  it  disturbs  evil  in  all  its  forms, 
searches  it  out  in  all  its  lairs,  unmasks  its  sophis- 
tries, exposes  its  cunning  devices,  and  brands  it 


THE  PRESENT  CONFLICTS.  153 

in  whatever  disguises  it  may  pose,  or  whatever 
alluring  forms  it  may  wear.  Foreign  missions 
may  be  considered  simply  as  God  at  work  in  the 
world,  with  His  own  chosen  instruments  and 
methods,  for  the  amelioration  of  the  woes  of  the 
race  and  the  lifting  of  mankind  into  contact  with 
the  one  supernatural  agency  that  can  start  the 
soul  toward  heaven  and  give  it  strength  to  pursue 
the  upward  pathway. 

Any  intelligent  survey  of  foreign  missions  at 
the  present  stage  of  their  progress  will  therefore 
inevitably  reveal  a  broad  and  varied  realm  of 
conflict,  and  we  shall  now  ask  your  attention  to 
some  of  the  more  prominent  phases  of  this  stren- 
uous struggle,  which  has  been  precipitated  by 
the  very  success  which  marks  the  progress  of  the 
cause.     We  note  as  worthy  of  attention : 

I.  The  conflict  with  a  self-centered  Christianity 
in  the  Church  at  home.  The  expression  seems 
like  a  contradiction  in  terms,  for  one  of  the  first 
and  most  characteristic  triumphs  of  Christianity 
in  the  heart  is  to  dethrone  self  and  clothe  it 
in  the  livery  of  service,  and  bid  it  center  its 
thoughts  upon  others ;   yet  so  tenacious  and  des- 


154     FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

potic  is  the  sway  of  self,  and  so  subtle  and  dis- 
guised is  the  approach  of  the  tempter,  that  these 
high  behests  are  often  ignored  until  Christian- 
ity itself  may  become  self-centered.  We  would 
guard  this  statement  carefully,  so  that  it  shall  not 
be  understood  to  apply  to  that  inner  circle  of  un- 
selfish followers  of  the  Master  who  count  it  their 
joy  and  privilege  to  seek  the  good  of  others,  in 
the  name  of  Christ.  There  are  many  such,  and 
they  are  the  salt  of  the  Church,  and  Christianity 
is  kept  from  corruption  and  collapse  by  their  sweet 
loyalty  to  the  Master's  spirit.  They  reach  out 
after  the  needy,  the  distressed,  and  the  wander- 
ing ;  they  shed  a  glow  of  sympathy,  of  comfort,  and 
of  inspiration  into  chilled  and  darkened  hearts; 
they  love  the  kingdom,  and  rejoice  in  its  advance- 
ment, and  pray  for  its  progress  wherever  there 
are  souls  to  seek  and  save.  They  are  faithful  to 
the  claims  of  home  Christianity,  and  they  are 
loyal,  too,  to  the  claims  of  a  world-wide  steward- 
ship. The  cause  of  foreign  missions  is  borne  up 
as  upon  wings  by  their  prayers,  their  gifts,  and 
their  indefatigable  labors  for  its  advancement.  I 
have  called  this  an  inner  circle,  and  rightly  so, 
for  it  is  the  very  heart  of  the  Church,  and  it  is 


THE  PRESENT  CONFLICTS.  155 

inner  in  relation  to  the  larger  outer  circle  of 
Christians  to  whom  the  cause  of  foreign  missions 
is  little  more  than  a  name,  and  many  of  whom 
regard  it  with  aversion  or  distrust  or  entire  indif- 
ference. 

There  are  many,  too,  who,  while  they  heartily 
respect  Christianity,  and  honor  its  mission  of  ser- 
vice, are  inclined  to  argue  that  the  whole  duty  of 
the  Church  is  done  when  it  is  faithful  to  the  work 
near  at  hand.  They  draw  the  line  at  foreign  mis- 
sions, and  will  not  allow  their  Christian  sympathy 
and  their  sense  of  duty  to  reach  out  beyond  the 
circle  in  which  their  own  lives  move.  Among 
all  such  there  is  a  lamentable  ignorance  with  ref- 
erence to  the  history,  the  progress,  the  surpassing 
claims,  and  the  stirring  triumphs  of  this  great 
cause.  There  is  hardly  any  realm  of  current 
knowledge  in  which  they  are  so  utterly  lost. 
There  is  no  sphere  of  the  Church's  activities  which 
they  so  studiously  ignore  as  that  of  missions. 
The  world  knows  more  of  its  actors,  its  statesmen, 
its  soldiers,  its  explorers,  its  scientists,  and  its 
latest  and  lowest  records  in  every  sphere  of  con- 
test than  the  majority  of  Christians  know  about 
the  missionary  enterprises  of  this  century.     The 


156     FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

literature  of  missions,  which  is  now  so  able,  so 
voluminous,  and  so  packed  with  stimulating  facts, 
is  hardly  allowed  even  a  place  in  their  current 
reading.  The  result  of  this  ignorance  is  that 
many  false  statements  that  are  carelessly  or  cruelly 
made  with  reference  to  missions  find  a  ready 
credence  where  they  should  only  receive  a  prompt 
denial. 

There  is  also  a  deep-seated  indifference  in  the 
hearts  of  many  as  to  the  whole  missionary  move- 
ment of  the  Church.  It  is  a  matter  which  is 
treated  with  invariable  apathy,  and  sometimes 
with  positive  contempt.  It  is  simply  kept  outside 
the  circle  of  serious  thought  or  conscious  interest. 
A  sermon  on  foreign  missions  is  never  welcome, 
and  all  contact  with  the  whole  subject  is  avoided 
as  wearisome  and  distasteful.  The  natural  result 
is  consistent  illiberality  in  all  gifts  to  the  cause. 
It  is  an  astonishing  fact  that  there  are  by  actual 
count  2224  Presbyterian  churches  in  our  own 
communion  in  America  which  gave  last  year 
absolutely  nothing  to  foreign  missions,  while  there 
were  only  four  presbyteries  in  which  every  church 
gave  something.  Could  the  statistics  be  accu- 
rately tabulated,  it  would  no  doubt  be  found  that 


THE  PRESENT  CONFLICTS.  157 

in  the  churches  which  gave,  the  gifts  were  largely 
from  the  inner  circle  of  those  who  know  some- 
thing of  missions,  and  give  out  of  love  to  Christ, 
and  with  a  profound  appreciation  of  the  cause  as 
God's  latest  and  clearest  sign  to  His  people,  and 
the  freshest  touch  of  the  Lord  in  the  exercise  of 
His  mediatorial  sovereignty  as  the  Head  of  His 
Church.  The  great  mass  of  Christians,  if  they 
were  honest  with  themselves,  would  confess  that 
they  give  little,  and  that  little  they  give  with  less 
interest  than  to  any  other  department  of  church 
benevolence. 

With  this  self-centered  spirit  in  the  Church  the 
cause  of  foreign  missions  has  to  contend  as  if  for 
its  life.  Its  work  increases,  and  it  cannot  reach 
the  great  constituency  of  the  Church  to  secure 
the  support  it  needs.  If  Christians  but  realized 
it,  there  is  nothing  more  inimical  to  the  true  power 
and  the  high  spiritual  welfare  of  the  Church  than 
this  same  self-centered  spirit.  The  law  of  Chris- 
tianity is  self-communication;  its  strength  grows 
by  extension.  Self-communication  is  a  law  of 
the  divine  existence,  and  God  has  made  Chris- 
tianity after  His  own  likeness  in  this  respect.  The 
Church  lives  only   by   an   effort  to  give  life  to 


158      FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

others.  A  Christianity  which  is  not  aggressive 
becomes  regressive.  A  state  of  inaction  sinks  at 
once  into  a  state  of  degeneration.  A  reclining 
Church  soon  becomes  a  declining  Church.  It  is 
a  philosophical  and  practical  truth  that  the  only 
way  to  save  religion  from  extinction  is  to  extend 
it.  It  has  been  objected  to  foreign  missions  that 
this  country  has  no  religion  to  spare ;  but  the  only 
way  that  a  country  or  a  Church  can  have  any  re- 
hgion  to  spare  is  through  an  unsparing  effort  to 
impart  that  religion  freely  to  others.  Self-sacri- 
fice is  the  condition  of  self-preservation,  and  giv- 
ing impoverisheth  not,  but  rather  enriches.  Oh 
that  this  unnatural,  this  unhallowed  conflict  with 
a  self- centered  Christianity  might  come  to  an 
end,  and  the  Church  of  Christ  be  more  Christ-like 
in  this  one  sublime  and  unique  characteristic  of 
the  Master — His  mission  ''  to  seek  and  to  save 
that  which  was  lost."  A  Christianity  that  seeks 
is  a  Christianity  that  saves.  A  Christianity  which 
simply  nourishes  itself  soon  loses  its  power.  The 
true  and  sufficient  antidote  to  spiritual  coldness 
and  feebleness  in  the  Church,  to  worldliness  and 
religious  indifference  in  the  hearts  of  Christians, 
and  to  the  encroachments  of  rationalism  in  doc- 


THE  PRESENT  CONFLICTS.  159 

trine,  is  the  glow  and  sacrifice  of  a  true  mission- 
ary zeal.  A  Church  which  is  absorbed  and  in- 
spired by  missionary  activities  has  little  to  fear 
from  heresy  or  worldliness  or  spiritual  degeneracy. 
Christ  Himself  walks  in  the  midst  of  the  golden 
candlesticks  that  are  lighted  with  the  flame  of 
His  own  consuming  zeal  for  the  souls  of  men. 

n.  We  turn  our  attention  now  to  conflicts  with 
rival  and  intrusive  missions.  We  speak  here  of 
conflicts  rather  than  of  rivalries,  for  Protestant 
missions  are  usually  bitterly  opposed,  often 
through  violent  and  unscrupulous  measures,  by 
competing  missions,  who  conduct  their  work  not 
in  a  spirit  of  generous  rivalry,  but  of  desperate 
and  dogged  conflict.  It  is  unhappily  true  that 
Romish,  and  especially  Jesuit,  missions  are  not 
content  simply  to  push  their  own  work  side  by 
side  with  evangelical  agencies,  but  they  wage 
war  upon  Protestant  missions,  and  seek  with  un- 
scrupulous zeal  and  bitter  determination  to  de- 
stroy them.  The  missions  of  the  Romish  Church 
are  active,  vigorous,  and  extended.  Upon  almost 
every  field  of  Protestant  missionary  activity  we 
have  these  cunning  and  implacable  foes  plotting 


l6o     FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

against  us,  and  seeking  through  every  channel  of 
influence  to  stay  our  progress.  In  many  coun- 
tries, especially  in  Mexico,  in  the  South  American 
republics,  in  Madagascar,  in  several  groups  of 
the  Pacific  Islands,  to  a  certain  extent  in  the 
Turkish  Empire,  and  in  some  parts  of  Africa, 
they  are  able  to  count  upon  the  sympathy  and 
even  the  practical  aid  of  the  government,  either 
native  or  foreign.  In  other  lands,  as  in  China, 
Japan,  and  India,  they  are  diligent  and  active  in 
using  every  available  resource  to  accomplish  their 
purpose.  Their  attention  seems  to  be  about 
equally  divided  between  pushing  their  own  mis- 
sionary efforts  and  thwarting  those  under  Protest- 
ant auspices. 

Roman  Catholic  governments  in  Europe,  how- 
ever much  they  may  distrust  the  Jesuits  at  home, 
are  ready  to  use  them  as  political  agents  in  their 
colonies,  and  thus  it  often  happens  that  State  and 
Church  are  banded  against  Protestantism  through 
this  alliance  between  Romish  missionaries  and 
local  government  officials.  At  the  present  time 
Romanism  is  making  progress  in  Japan,  and  a  hier- 
archy has  been  recently  established  there,  with  an 
archbishop  at  Tokyo,  and  under  him  bishops  at 


THE  PRESENT  CONFLICTS.  i6l 

various  points  throughout  the  empire.  Although 
Romish  missionaries  were  once  expelled  from 
Japan,  yet  they  are  slowly  winning  again  a  for- 
midable position  there,  which  we  may  be  sure 
they  will  use  to  the  detriment  of  evangelical  mis- 
sions. In  China  it  is  estimated  that  there  are 
500,000  converts  to  Romanism,  and  the  mission- 
ary staff  of  the  Church,  with  its  600  Europeans 
and  550  native  priests,  are  opponents  not  to  be 
despised ;  while  in  Tonquin  and  Cochin  China 
Romanism  has  an  open  field,  and  this  is  true  of  a 
large  part  of  Malaysia.  In  the  Caroline  Islands, 
since  the  occupation  by  Spain,  there  are  islands, 
such  as  Ponape,  for  example, 'where  the  people 
are  strictly  prohibited  from  holding  religious  ser- 
vice except  under  Catholic  auspices.  The  ag- 
gressions of  the  Church  of  Rome  in  the  Punjab 
have  recently  been  made  a  subject  of  special 
attention  by  the  Protestant  missionary  societies 
of  that  region.  In  Syria  Jesuit  intrigue  and  op- 
position are  a  most  serious  hindrance  to  Protest- 
ant success.  In  Mexico  the  intolerant  hatred  of 
Romanism,  although  much  restrained  by  the 
present  government,  often  breaks  out  into  violent 
and  bloody  attacks  upon  evangelical  missionary 


1 62      FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

agents,  and  the  administration  hitherto  has  been 
so  largely  under  the  power  of  the  Papal  party 
that  there  has  been  hardly  any  check  to  intrigue, 
while  the  authority  of  officials  too  often  lends 
itself  to  the  service  of  the  Romish  Church.  The 
latest  and  most  conspicuous  phase  of  this  conflict 
is  in  the  distracted  state  of  Uganda,  where  Ro- 
manism has  been  busy  plotting  and  scheming,  by 
fair  means  or  foul,  to  banish  Protestant  mission- 
aries and  destroy  their  work. 

While  the  Romish  Church  is  our  most  formi- 
dable foe,  yet  we  must  not  forget  the  animosity 
of  the  Greek  and  Armenian  and  Coptic  Churches ; 
nor  should  we  ignore  the  efforts  of  the  extreme 
High- Church  party,  wherever  they  come  in  con- 
tact with  evangelical  missionaries,  to  conduct 
their  work  in  a  spirit  of  exclusive  and  often  some- 
what haughty  rivalry,  where  we  should  at  least 
expect  a  broad  charity  and  a  generous  fellowship. 
What  is  called  "  The  Archbishop's  Mission  to  the 
Assyrian  Christians,"  in  Persia,  is  a  leading  illus- 
tration at  the  present  time  of  an  uncalled-for  and 
distracting  intrusion  into  a  mission  field  already 
successfully  occupied  by  a  vigorous  Protestant 
mission.     The  efforts  of  the  Plymouth  Brethren 


THE  PRESENT  CONFLICTS.  163 

have  often  given  great  annoyance  to  missionaries, 
but  the  harm  which  they  have  done  has  usually 
been  temporary,  and  those  who  have  for  a  time 
been  led  to  accept  their  singular  perversions  of 
Christian  truth  have  in  the  end  returned  to  their 
first  love. 

III.  Still  another  of  these  conflicts  which  is 
worthy  of  notice,  although  its  results  are  probably 
of  little  serious  injury  to  the  cause  of  missions, 
is  with  the  misrepresentations  of  those  who  will- 
fully, or  through  ignorance  or  prejudice,  are  dis- 
posed to  bear  false  witness  against  missionaries 
and  their  work.  There  are  many  would-be 
critics  of  missions  who  often  make  public  state- 
ments with  reference  to  the  characters  and  lives 
of  missionaries,  their  methods  of  conducting  the 
work,  and  its  results,  which  are  either  utterly 
false,  or  pervaded  by  such  a  spirit  of  disparage- 
ment, and  sometimes  of  contempt,  that  many  fair- 
minded  people  are  unduly  influenced,  and  those 
who  are  already  prejudiced  are  confirmed  and 
encouraged  in  their  unfavorable  convictions.  The 
authors  of  these  adverse  criticisms  are  sometimes 
travelers  or  foreign  residents,  who  may  be  sup- 


1 64      FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

posed  to  have  had  good  opportunities  to  form  a 
judgment  from  personal  observation,  and  yet 
some  of  the  most  unjustifiable  and  misleading 
animadversions  have  come  from  this  source.  We 
cannot  account  for  it,  except  as  the  result  either 
of  failure  to  ascertain  the  facts,  or  an  indisposition 
to  treat  missions  with  fairness,  or  an  irresistible' 
inclination  to  deal  them  a  blow.  These  statements 
have  been  abundantly  answered  and  refuted  by 
the  testimony  of  other  witnesses  of  the  highest 
integrity,  and  often  those  who  occupy  positions 
of  great  dignity  and  honor  in  the  service  of  the 
State.  We  have  time  only  to  mention  such 
names  as :  Lord  Lawrence,  Sir  Donald  McLeod, 
Sir  Bartle  Frere,  Lord  Napier,  Sir  Richard  Tem- 
ple, Sir  William  Muir,  Sir  Charles  Elliott,  Hon. 
W.  E.  Gladstone,  Sir  M.  Monier- Williams,  Lord 
Dufferin,  Sir  Charles  Aitchison,  Mr.  H,  M.  Stan- 
ley, Mr.  Charles  Darwin,  Lieutenant-General 
Baker,  Mrs.  Isabella  Bird  Bishop,  Miss  C.  F. 
Gordon-Cumming,  and  United  States  Ministers 
Angell,  Denby,  Lew  Wallace,  and  Whitelaw  Reid, 
and  lately  Mr.  Charles  S.  Smith,  president  of  the 
New  York  Chamber  of  Commerce,  who  in  various 
parts  of  the  world  have  spoken  in  terms  of  un- 


THE  PRESENT  CONFLICTS.  165 

stinted  admiration  and  profound  respect  of  the 
practical  good  accomplished  by  missionaries,  the 
sterling  value  of  their  personal  characters,  and  the 
substantial  results  of  their  work. 

It  may  be  said,  also,  that  while  no  doubt  there 
are  many  beautiful  and  noble  exceptions  to  the 
statement,  yet  as  a  rule  the  spirit  and  tone  of 
European  society  in  foreign  lands  is  entirely  out 
of  sympathy  with  the  purpose  and  work  of  mis- 
sions. The  too  prevalent  spirit  of  pride  and 
worldliness,  the  questionable,  and  sometimes 
scandalous,  lives  of  many  foreign  residents  make 
contact  with  the  missionary  upon  any  terms  of 
cordial  sympathy  and  cooperation  impossible,  and 
the  result  is  often  an  ill-concealed  impatience  at 
his  presence,  and  a  desire  to  be  rid  of  him,  and 
free  from  the  rebuke  of  the  Christianity  which  he 
teaches.  Again,  the  whole  purpose  of  missions 
is  often  regarded  with  extreme  distaste  and  dis- 
paragement by  many  in  foreign  lands,  who  con- 
sider the  missionary  as  a  fanatic,  or  a  fool,  and 
the  effort  to  teach  Christianity  as  an  unwarrant- 
able intrusion  into  ground  already  preoccupied  by 
religions  which,  if  not  so  good  as  Christianity,  are 
at  least  good  enough  for  Hindus  and  Chinamen. 


1 66      FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

Misrepresentations  from  other  sources  have 
come  to  the  front  of  late,  as  in  the  unspeakably 
scurrilous  placards  of  the  Chinese ;  and  even  the 
contents  of  the  Chinese  *'  Blue  Books,"  pubHshed 
under  government  auspices,  are  not  free  from 
scandalous  statements. 

No  doubt  the  great  mass  of  criticisms  and  mis- 
representations referred  to  can  best  be  met  with  a 
dignified  silence,  and  yet  much  harm  is  done  to 
the  cause  of  missions  among  many  credulous  and 
uninformed  people  by  such  misstatements  from 
apparently  authentic  sources.  We  must  trust  to 
the  dissemination  of  reliable  missionary  informa- 
tion, and  to  the  progress  of  a  winning  cause,  to 
triumph  in  the  end. 

IV.  Another  dread  battle  which  our  foreign 
missions  have  to  fight  is  the  conflict  with  dan- 
gerous climates  and  an  unhealthful  environment. 
This  is  not  the  case  in  every  instance,  as  many  of 
our  missions  are  in  healthful  and  bracing  climates  ; 
but  throughout  the  entire  tropical  belt  of  the 
world  missionary  life  is  often  a  serious  struggle 
with  depressing  and  dangerous  climatic  conditions, 
and  with  unsanitary  surroundings.      Many  faithful 


THE  PRESENT  CONFLICTS.  167 

and  valuable  missionaries  have  been  the  victims 
of  poisonous  malaria,  deadly  fevers,  or  prostrating 
sun-strokes,  or  have  yielded  to  the  nervous  strain 
of  work  where  every  breath  had  in  it  the  taint  of 
pestilence.  Every  large  Eastern  city  is  full  of 
lurking  danger,  which  even  the  utmost  prudence 
and  care  cannot  fully  overcome.  The  v/ater  is 
often  foul  with  contamination.  Pestilential  dis- 
eases are  unceasing  in  their  ravages  at  many 
points  in  the  East.  Leprosy,  cholera,  malignant 
fevers,  small-pox,  diphtheria,  and  blinding  affec- 
tions of  the  eyes  are  so  frequently  met  with  in 
Eastern  life  as  to  be  rather  a  matter  of  every- day 
than  of  epidemic  experience.  Some  of  the  statis- 
tics furnished  by  the  British  government  in  India 
will  give  an  idea  of  the  magnitude  and  virulence 
of  these  dangers  to  health.  It  is  estimated  that 
there  are  500,000  lepers  in  India,  and  that  there 
are  41 7,000  fatal  cases  of  cholera  in  a  single  year, 
and  that  3,500,000  annually  die  of  fever  and 
125,550  of  small-pox,  even  though  vaccination  is 
compulsory  and  nearly  6,000,000  children  were 
vaccinated  last  year. 

These  hidden  dangers  are  now  rendered  less 
fatal  by  caution  and  prudence  as  a  rule  of  mis- 


1 68      FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

sionary  life,  a  lesson  which  costly  experience  has 
taught.  More  salubrious  localities  are  selected  for 
mission  stations,  and  a  proper  regard  to  the  laws 
of  health,  in  the  light  of  experience,  is  recognized 
as  a  duty  which  the  missionary  owes  to  himself 
and  to  his  cause.  It  is  now  also  a  part  of  the 
policy  of  missionary  societies  to  provide  in  some 
convenient  locality  missionary  sanatoria,  where 
in  inexpensive  but  healthful  surroundings  worn 
and  prostrated  workers  may  have  the  healing 
touch  of  mountain  air,  and  the  needed  relief  of 
rest  and  change,  and  where  at  certain  seasons  of 
the  year  during  the  heated  term  mission  confer- 
ences may  be  held,  and  questions  discussed,  and 
plans  made,  so  that  the  time  spent  there  often 
sends  not  only  the  life-blood  bounding  through 
the  veins,  but  throws  a  new  vigor  into  all  the 
channels  of  missionary  service. 

V.  Another  serious  hindrance  to  foreign  mis- 
sionary effort  is  occasioned  by  its  conflict  with 
the  political  and  commercial  projects  of  Euro- 
pean governments,  and  with  the  malign  influence 
of  vice  and  greed  as  exhibited  in  the  lives  of  un- 
worthy representatives  of  Western  civilization  in 


THE  PRESENT  CONFLICTS.  169 

foreign  lands.  Mission  work  is  frequently  carried 
on  in  countries  which  are  under  the  political  or 
commercial  control  of  some  foreign  government, 
and  in  such  instances  it  is  frequently,  although 
not  invariably,  true  that  there  is  a  serious  conflict 
of  interest  between  the  government  on  the  one 
hand  and  the  aim  of  missions  on  the  other.  We 
must  not  forget  to  note,  however,  that  while  these 
conflicts  are  sometimes  a  serious  hindrance,  yet, 
on  the  other  hand,  it  is  frequently  the  case  that 
the  political  or  commercial  projects  of  foreign 
control  secure  the  introduction  of  modern  facilities 
in  the  advantages  of  which  mission  enterprise  has 
its  full  share. 

At  the  present  moment  the  illustrations  of  this 
painful  conflict  which  stand  out  most  conspicuously 
before  the  world  are  the  opium  traffic  in  China 
and  India,  the  labor  traffic  in  Malaysia  and  the 
Pacific  Islands,  and  the  Kanaka  traffic  among  the 
islands  of  Polynesia  for  the  supply  of  laborers  upon 
the  sugar  plantations  of  Queensland.  These  lat- 
ter, as  conducted  at  present,  are  little  else  than 
an  organized  system  of  slavery  on  a  very  large 
scale,  as  we  find  it  illustrated  in  the  case  of 
Chinese  coolies  at  Singapore,  which  is  made  a  dis- 


170      FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

tributing  center  for  the  Malaysian  Islands.  We 
also  mention  the  trade  in  intoxicants  and  firearms 
in  the  New  Hebrides,  the  oppressive  policy  of  the 
Dutch  in  Java,  the  rum  traffic  and  slave-trade  in 
Africa,  and  what  is  called  the  liquor  traffic  in 
India.  To  be  sure,  we  cannot  hold  European 
governments  strictly  responsible  for  all  these  evils, 
and  yet  the  relation  of  the  British  government 
to  the  history  of  opium  in  China  is  too  well 
known  to  be  ignored,  and  the  traffic  in  rum  should 
be  everywhere  prohibited  where  Christian  govern- 
ments have  the  power  to  do  so ;  and  now  that  so 
much  of  Africa  is  coming  under  European  control, 
one  of  the  first  and  most  sacred  duties  of  civilized 
governments  is  to  deal  a  death-blow  to  the  slave- 
trade.  The  restrictions  upon  the  traffic  in  intox- 
icants in  the  Congo  Free  State  seem  to  be  merely 
a  sham,  whereas  there  should  be  no  difficulty  in 
dealing  efficiently  with  this  monstrous  evil.  While 
the  missionary  is  offering  the  cup  of  salvation  to 
the  African,  reckless  greed  and  heartless  cruelty 
are  pressing  the  cup  of  ruin  to  native  lips. 

An  effort  is  being  made  at  the  present  time  to 
secure  restrictive  legislation  as  regards  intoxicat- 
ing liquors,  firearms,  and  ammunition  throughout 


THE  PRESENT  CONFLICTS.  171 

the  South  Sea  Islands,  especially  in  the  New  Heb- 
rides, and  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  our  own  govern- 
ment will  heartily  join  with  European  powers  in 
some  international  regulations  with  a  view  to  the 
suppression  of  this  evil.  Laws  of  this  kind  are 
already  in  operation  in  the  British  colony  of  Fiji, 
where  the  sale  of  intoxicants  to  the  natives  is 
made  an  offense  punishable  by  a  considerable  fine 
and  imprisonment.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  right- 
eous and  just  consideration  for  the  dictates  of 
humanity,  to  say  nothing  of  religion,  will  in  the 
end  induce  civilized  governments  to  exercise  their 
authority  in  forbidding  these  evils,  and  in  the 
name  of  civilization  and  humanity  to  cast  them 
out. 

Few  of  us  realize  the  terrible  ravages  of  opium 
among  the  Chinese.  It  is  now  fifty  years  since 
the  British  government  forced  the  entrance  of 
opium  into  China  at  the  point  of  her  bayonets, 
and  who  can  picture  in  imagination  the  dreadful 
results  that  have  followed  ?  Between  five  and  six 
thousand  tons  are  sent  from  India  to  China  an- 
nually as  an  article  of  English  trade,  from  which 
the  Indian  government  derives  at  the  present 
time  an  annual  revenue  of  about   $32,000,000, 


1J2      FOREIGX  MISSIOS'S  .-IFTER  A  CESTURY. 

while  the  Viceroy  of  India  is  the  largest  manufact- 
urer of  opium  in  the  world.  It  is  estimated  that 
there  are  in  China  at  the  present  time  not  less 
than  eighty  million  victims  to  this  scourge,  and 
Dr.  J.  Hudson  Taylor  stated  in  the  London  Mis- 
sionar}'  Conference  in  1888,  that,  if  we  take  into 
consideration  the  families  of  the  victims  of  opium, 
there  are  not  less  than  one  hundred  and  fifty 
millions  of  souls  suffering,  directly  or  indirectly. 
from  this  evil  in  China.  The  protests  of  Chris- 
tian England  against  this  iniquity  have  been  loud 
and  long,  and  an  anti-opium  movement  has  been 
fully  organized.  Numerous  and  influential  pub- 
lic meetings  are  constantly  held  for  the  purpose 
of  stavino-  the  evil,  and  even  in  the  British  Parlia- 
ment  in  1891  a  majority  voted  in  condemnation 
of  the  traffic  as  "  a  morally  indefensible  source  of 
Indian  revenue."  This  vote,  however,  was  taken 
when  there  was  only  a  partial  attendance  in  the 
House,  and  seems  to  have  been  practically  in- 
operative. The  declaration  has  met  with  much 
opposition  in  influential  quarters,  and  even  the 
London  Times,  in  commenting  upon  the  fact,  re- 
marked that  the  "  House  of  Commons  was  simply 
having   one   of   its  too-familiar  spasms  of  cheap 


THE  PRESENT  CONFLICTS.  173 

Puritanism."  China  herself  has  begged  and 
struggled  to  be  delivered  from  this  curse.  Korea 
is  also  in  the  field  as  a  new  victim  to  this  vicious 
habit,  which  seems  to  be  gaining  a  hold  upon  the 
people  of  that  land,  and,  judging  by  the  experi- 
ence of  the  past,  it  will  not  be  long  before  it  will 
be  firmly  and  widely  established  in  that  kingdom. 
The  ravages  of  opium  in  India,  although  not 
so  generally  known  and  discussed,  are  attracting 
the  attention  of  philanthropists  at  the  present  time. 
The  attitude  of  the  British  government  in  the  case 
of  India  seems  to  be  utterly  indefensible  and  in- 
expHcable.  A  recent  official  inquiry,  under  the 
auspices  of  the  Indian  government,  as  to  opium 
consumption  set  forth  that  it  was  ''  merely  a  lux- 
ury, indulgence  in  which  the  government  could 
do  nothing  to  hinder,  except  by  preventing  the 
use  of  illicit  opium,  and  keeping  the  licit  article 
at  a  high  price."  It  is  an  easy  thing  to  suppress 
illicit  opium,  but  to  suppress  the  prime  article 
which  brings  in  the  revenue  is  another  matter. 
In  the  face  of  the  rapid  increase  of  the  habit 
among  the  Hindus,  which  in  the  Bombay  Presi- 
dency alone,  according  to  official  reports,  has 
been  at  the  rate  of  549  per  cent,  since   1876,  the 


174      FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

government  freely  offers  for  sale  at  public  auction 
a  license  to  sell  the  drug,  which  is  disposed  of  to 
the  highest  bidder.  The  singular  and  sinister 
restriction  which  is  put  upon  this  license  is  not 
with  reference  to  limiting  the  amount  sold,  but, 
on  the  contrary,  fixes  the  minimum  quantity 
which  must  be  sold  during  the  term  of  the  license, 
and  in  the  case  of  failure  to  dispose  of  the  stipu- 
lated amount,  the  owner  of  the  license  must  pay 
to  the  government  a  "  penalty  at  the  rate  of  five 
rupees  per  pound  on  the  quantity  of  opium  re- 
quired to  make  up  the  said  minimum." 

Could  the  British- Indian  government  make  a 
more  deliberate  and  cold-blooded  conspiracy  with 
Satan  to  ruin  souls  for  hire  than  in  this  fearful 
compact  with  the  Indian  opium-seller?  It  is 
estimated  that  during  the  last  three  years  the 
number  of  opium  joints  in  India  has  increased  by 
about  fifteen  hundred,  and  now  that  the  British 
have  annexed  Upper  Burma,  where  before  the 
annexation  the  introduction  of  opium  was  pro- 
hibited by  the  law  of  the  land,  there  seems  to 
be  imminent  danger  of  British  rule  opening  the 
door  for  the  introduction  of  the  dread  poison 
among   the    people    of    that    country.      Already 


THE  PRESENT  CONFLICTS.  175 

Burma  may  be  said  to  be  literally  on  its  knees 
praying  the  British  government  not  to  introduce 
the  scourge.  There  has  been  as  yet  no  formal 
and  official  action  on  the  part  of  the  English  gov- 
ernment sanctioning  the  iniquity  in  Burma,  but 
there  is  virtual  connivance  at  the  illicit  traffic,  and 
official  licenses  are  sold  to  Chinamen,  ostensibly 
to  sell  the  drug  to  their  fellow-countrymen,  in 
places  where  there  is  hardly  a  Chinaman,  and 
where  the  license  becomes  merely  a  pretense  for 
evading  the  law  and  selling  the  poison  to  the 
natives  of  the  land. 

Another  alarming  indication  of  the  rushing  tide 
of  wretchedness  and  ruin  which  is  gathering  such 
fearful  headway  in  the  Eastern  world  in  connec- 
tion with  the  use  of  opium  is  the  fact  that  the 
Chinese  themselves  have  now  commenced  to  cul- 
tivate the  poppy  in  their  own  fields,  and  in  place 
of  the  familiar  placard  in  China,  which  indicates 
that  rice  from  the  province  of  Szchuen  is  for  sale, 
there  has  of  late  been  substituted  a  sign  which 
advertises  that  "  Szchuen  earth  "  may  be  had,  by 
which  suggestive  term  the  Chinese  designate 
Szchuen  opium. 

The  great  arguments  of  those  who  oppose  gov- 


176      FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

ernment  action  on  the  part  of  Great  Britain  in  the 
matter  of  opium  are  that  it  is  impracticable  and 
impossible ;  it  is  urged,  moreover,  that  if  the 
British  government  should  lift  its  hands  from  the 
monopoly,  others  would  take  it  up,  and  a  less 
pure  quality  and  cheaper  species  of  the  drug 
would  still  be  produced,  so  that  little  would  be 
gained.  It  is  a  specious  and  utterly  indefensible 
line  of  argument.  It  means  that  England  can 
afford  to  do  wrong,  and  cannot  afford  to  do  right, 
and  the  whole  financial  argument  collapses  in 
view  of  the  fact  that  government  plans  might  be 
made  to  supplement  for  a  time  the  revenues  of 
the  Indian  dependency  until  the  financial  difficul- 
ties were  obviated.  The  injury  to  missions  by 
opium  is  something  incalculable,  and  the  issue 
between  righteousness  and  humanity  on  the  one 
hand,  and  iniquity  and  callous  greed  on  the 
other,  is  both  sharp  and  irrepressible.  This  traffic 
in  opium  has  been  called  **  England's  greatest 
contribution  to  the  world's  wretchedness." 

We  have  little  space  left  in  which  to  speak  in 
any  detail  of  the  dire  and  dismal  story  of  rum  in 
Africa.  It  is  even  a  more  infamous  and  unspeak- 
able wrong  than  that  of  opium.     Before  the  recent 


THE  PRESENT  CONFLICTS.  177 

prohibition  it  was  estimated  that  10,000,000  gal- 
lons of  intoxicants  were  introduced  by  foreigners 
into  the  Congo  Free  State  and  the  basin  of  the 
Niger.  The  official  statistics  of  the  Boston  cus- 
tom-house for  the  year  ending  June  30,  1891, 
show  that  America  is  responsible  for  nearly 
1,000,000  gallons  of  liquor  exported  to  Africa, 
Germany,  however,  sends  far  more  than  any  one 
country.  The  British  government  a  few  years 
ago  prohibited  the  liquor  traffic  in  Basutoland,  at 
the  earnest  request  of  the  native  chiefs,  with  most 
satisfactory  and  wonderful  results. 

In  Central  and  Western  Africa,  however,  a 
constant  river  of  ruin  is  still  pouring  into  the 
bodies  of  African  victims.  It  is  one  of  the  most 
unmitigated  sins  that  has  ever  been  committed 
with  the  connivance  of  civilization,  by  the  hand 
of  unscrupulous  greed.  Those  in  authority  who 
have  the  power  to  check  it  seem  to  have  spasms 
of  conscience  and  flashes  of  shame  over  the  dread- 
ful business,  but  nothino^  is  done  with  a  strong- 
and  persistent  purpose  to  remedy  the  evil,  and, 
in  the  meantime,  every  ship  that  carries  a  mission- 
ary to  Africa  is  likely  to  have  enough  rum  on 
board  to  ruin  a  thousand  souls. 


178      FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

We  have  time  only  to  refer  to  the  other  phase 
of  this  conflict  which  was  mentioned,  and  that  is 
the  malign  influence  of  Western  vices  and  com- 
mercial dishonesty  as  exhibited  in  the  lives  of  un- 
worthy representatives  of  Western  civilization  in 
foreign  lands.  The  missionary  teaches  a  religion 
of  righteousness,  purity,  truth,  honesty,  Sabbath 
observance,  and  Christian  kindliness ;  but  alas,  the 
lives  of  many  who  are  inevitably  associated  with 
Christianity  in  the  minds  of  the  surrounding 
heathen  exhibit  an  unblushing  disregard  of  the 
most  fundamental  principles  of  truth  and  right- 
eousness. The  conflict  is  a  painful  and  delicate 
one,  and  the  damage  to  missions  is  serious  and 
far-reaching ;  but  we  can  only  hint  at  these  facts, 
and  must  pass  on  to  other  subjects  which  claim 
our  attention. 

VI.  Another  great  conflict  of  mission  fields  is 
with  the  opposition  of  civil  governments  and  ec- 
clesiastical hierarchies.  The  Gospel  in  many  in- 
stances brings  the  civil  and  the  reUgious  rulers  to 
bay.  The  State  is  often  in  such  close  union  with 
the  Church  that  it  feels  called  upon  to  place  its 
interdict  upon  the  Gospel,  lest  the  official  prestige 


THE  PRESENT  CONFLICTS.  179 

of  its  State  religion  should  be  injured ;  and  for 
other  reasons,  sometimes  on  account  of  political 
suspicions  or  fears,  and  sometimes  through  dread 
of  the  enlightening,  quickening,  and  progressive 
influence  of  Christianity,  the  State  interposes  its 
authority,  either  openly  or  secretly,  to  stay  the 
progress  of  missions. 

In  the  case  of  ecclesiastical  rulers,  the  Gospel 
is,  of  course,  an  enemy  to  be  feared  by  them.  Its 
doctrine,  its  worship,  its  fundamental  principles 
of  church  polity,  its  ethics,  and  its  exaltation  of 
the  mediatorial  office  of  Christ,  as  well  as  its  con- 
demnation of  the  pride  of  the  heart  and  sins  of 
the  flesh,  are  all  in  hopeless  hostility  to  the  whole 
ecclesiastical  system  and  practice  of  false  religions. 
The  priesthood  of  all  Oriental  religions  is,  with, 
of  course,  some  individual  exceptions,  unfathom- 
ably  base  and  defiled.  They  teach  formality  and 
superstition  in  their  speech,  hypocrisy  and  decep- 
tion in  their  ecclesiastical  service,  immorality  and 
covetousness  in  their  lives,  and  pride  and  self- 
complacency  in  their  official  lordship.  They  hold 
the  souls  of  men  in  darkness,  terror,  and  abject 
dependence,  and  they  hate  the  Gospel  of  light, 
liberty,  humility,  purity,  and  free  salvation,  be- 


l8o      FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

cause  it  strikes  at  once  a  deadly  blow  at  their 
ecclesiastical  usurpations,  their  official  duplicity, 
and  their  scandalous  lives. 

The  question  of  the  civil  status  of  missions  and 
the  treaty  rights  of  missionaries  is  one  that  has 
come  to  the  front  of  late  in  China,  Turkey,  Persia, 
Africa,  and  in  the  Caroline  Islands  of  the  Pacific. 

In  China  the  lives  and  property  of  missionaries 
have  been  during  the  past  year,  and  may  be  at  any 
moment  again,  in  serious  peril,  although  it  cannot 
be  fairly  said  that  the  Chinese  government  exhibits 
any  official  or  open  enmity  to  our  missionaries. 

In  Turkey,  however,  the  case  is  different,  and 
the  anti- missionary  spirit  in  the  government  is 
strong  and  determined.  The  Turkish  authorities 
are  studiously  endeavoring  to  carry  on  their  cru- 
sade against  evangelical  missions  in  such  a  way  as 
to  avoid  open  and  flagrant  transgression  of  treaty 
rights.  American  missions  entered  Turkey  sev- 
enty years  ago,  and  have  conducted  a  quiet  but 
aggressive  work  along  all  the  lines  of  Christian 
influence  and  progress,  until  the  government  has 
become  thoroughly  alarmed  lest  Christianity 
should  carry  the  day,  and  the  prestige  of  Islam, 
both  civil  and  religious,  should  wane.     It  must 


THE  PRESENT  CONFLICTS.  i8l 

be  said  that  our  missionary  operations  have  been 
treated  in  the  past  with  remarkable  tolerance  by 
the  Turkish  government,  although  no  doubt  the 
timely  exactions  and  restraints  of  Christian  gov- 
ernments have  had  a  large  influence  in  checking 
the  instinctive  bigotry  of  Islam.  But  of  late  years, 
and  increasingly  so  within  the  past  year,  the 
Turkish  government  has  given  very  deliberate 
and  serious  attention  to  imperial  legislation,  for 
the  express  purpose  of  laying  its  heavy  hand  of 
authority  upon  American  missionaries  and  their 
work.  They  have  legislated,  however,  so  sweep- 
ingly  and  so  pointedly  that  our  own  government, 
which  has  been  admirably  served  at  Constanti- 
nople by  Ministers  Wallace  and  Straus  and  Hirsch, 
has  been  able,  with  the  cooperation  of  the  Prot- 
estant powers  of  Europe,  to  interpose  an  effective 
protest  against  the  Turkish  plans.  It  remains  to 
be  seen  whether  the  apparent  cessation  of  active 
hostilities  on  the  part  of  the  Turkish  government 
is  permanent,  or  merely  temporary.  It  is  prob- 
able that  our  missions  are  to  meet  with  vigorous 
and  determined  efforts  on  the  part  of  the  Moslem 
authorities  to  hinder  their  further  progress  and 
deprive  them  of  their  facilities. 


1 82      FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

The  problem  is  not  without  its  difficulties  to  the 
Turkish  government,  since  treaty  rights  have 
been  very  explicitly  defined  in  the  case  of  almost 
every  Christian  government,  and,  moreover,  there 
exist  large  Christian  communities  and  nationalities 
throughout  Turkey,  each  one  of  which  may  be 
said  to  be  under  the  patronage  and  protection  of 
some  European  government,  which  feels  it  to  be 
for  its  advantage  to  have  an  ally  in  the  Orient,  so 
that  the  Turk  is  placed  in  an  attitude  which  is  at 
once  delicate  and  dangerous  in  case  he  undertakes 
to  legislate  in  any  general  way  against  the  inter- 
ests of  these  Christian  communities.  If,  on  the 
other  hand,  he  attempts  to  single  out  the  Prot- 
estant community  as  a  point  of  attack,  he  is  en- 
tangled in  embarrassments  which  even  his  astute 
and  double-faced  diplomacy  can  hardly  overcome. 
If  he  levels  his  guns  at  evangelical  Christianity, 
after  having  officially  recognized  the  existence 
and  rights  of  the  Protestant  sect  by  an  imperial 
firman,  he  is  in  danger  of  sending  his  deadly 
missiles  in  a  too  promiscuous  fusilade  throughout 
the  whole  Christian  camp  of  the  empire.  We 
may  feel  assured  that  the  God  of  missions  is 
master  of  the  situation  in  these  old  Oriental  em- 


THE  PRESENT  CONFLICTS.  183 

pires,  and  that  He  who  has  watched  over  the 
interests  of  His  kingdom  in  all  ages  of  history 
will  vindicate  in  our  day  His  marvelous  power  to 
make  ''  even  the  wrath  of  men  to  praise  Him." 

There  has  been  bitter  and  cruel  persecution  of 
late  in  Persia;  in  the  Caroline  Islands  there  have 
been  flagrant  outrages  by  the  Spanish  authorities ; 
in  Russia  the  Stundists  have  had  to  face  horrible 
ordeals  for  righteousness'  sake ;  and  in  Japan 
there  are  still  lurking  signs  of  hostility  on  the  part 
of  the  government  to  the  free  and  open  propaga- 
tion of  the  Gospel.  In  Korea  a  hostile  animus 
against  not  only  missionaries,  but  all  foreigners, 
is  from  time  to  time  manifested.  Along  the 
northern  shores  of  Africa,  where  the  Moslem  in- 
fluence is  still  predominant,  and  in  the  storm- 
center  of  Uganda,  there  are  serious  difficulties  of 
the  kind  we  have  mentioned.  The  God  of  mis- 
sions is  also  the  God  of  nations,  and  in  His  name 
the  Gospel  must  fight  its  battles. 

The  opposition  of  ecclesiastical  authorities,  and, 
in  many  cases,  of  the  fanatical  lay  element  also, 
becomes  more  and  more  noticeable  as  the  power 
of  the  Gospel  begins  to  be  manifest  among  the 
adherents  of  false  religions.      In   many   Eastern 


1 84     FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

lands  ecclesiastical  leaders  have  also  civil  powers, 
which  they  can  use  to  carry  out  their  ends.  In 
Turkey  the  patriarchs  and  bishops  have  power  to 
arrest  and  imprison  those  who  are  inclined  to 
Protestantism,  to  confiscate  their  property,  and  in- 
directly to  secure,  or  at  least  encourage,  the  cruel 
and  violent  personal  treatment  of  members  of  their 
own  religious  constituency  who  are  not  entirely 
submissive  to  their  authority.  Little  or  no  re- 
straint on  the  part  of  the  Moslem  authorities  may 
be  looked  for,  as  they  have  tacitly  handed  over 
the  civil  rights  of  the  various  Christian  communi- 
ties into  the  hands  of  their  ecclesiastical  superi- 
ors, with  the  understanding  that  the  religious 
rulers  are  responsible  for  the  good  behavior  of 
their  spiritual  followers.  We  may  be  sure  that 
unscrupulous  men  who  find  their  ecclesiastical 
authority  in  danger  and  their  constituency  dimin- 
ishing by  evangelical  conversions  will  not  hesi- 
tate to  use  their  power,  with  terrifying  effect,  to 
check  the  influence  of  Protestant  teachings  and 
keep  their  religious  following  intact. 

VII.  Another  conflict  which  must  be  noted  in 
this  connection  is  developed  by  the  aroused  and 


THE  PRESENT  CONFLICTS.  185 

quickened  antagonism  of  devout  and  loyal  ad- 
herents of  opposing  religions.  This  opposition  has 
been  stimulated  by  the  very  fact  that  the  progress 
of  the  Gospel  has  put  them  on  the  defensive,  and  in 
many  instances  the  intellectual  stimulus  which  has 
come  with  the  Gospel,  and  the  very  intelligence, 
knowledge,  and  extension  of  resources  which 
missions  have  brought,  are  turned  against  Chris- 
tianity. Mission  success  has  aroused  the  bigotry, 
kindled  the  fears,  quickened  the  zeal,  and  put 
weapons  into  the  hands  of  those  who  recognize 
the  necessity  of  self-defense  and  brace  themselves 
for  the  contest. 

We  have  illustrations  of  this  in  India,  in  such 
movements  as  the  Brahmo  Soma],  and  the  more 
recent  Arya  Somaj,  a  society  which  was  not  in 
existence  twelve  years  ago,  yet  it  numbers  now 
many  thousands  in  its  membership,  has  already 
established  a  college  at  Lahore,  and  has  its  preach- 
ers in  the  bazaars.  The  Brahmo  Somaj  is  an  older 
movement,  and  may  be  described  as  simply  a 
struggle  or  spasm  of  Hinduism  to  free  itself  from 
idolatry  and  polytheism,  and  absorb  the  ethics  of 
Christianity  without  its  supernaturalism.  It  is  a 
cold  and  bald  attempt  at  an  ethical  salvation,  its 


1 86     FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

conscience  casting  off  the  baser  and  grosser  cult 
of  Indian  heathenism,  and  reaching  out  after  more 
satisfying  ethical  standards,  yet  with  no  recogni- 
tion of  the  unique  character  of  Christ,  and  no 
humble  dependence  upon  His  mediatorial  work. 
We  may  expect  religious  evolutions  like  thi? 
amidst  the  turmoil  of  thought,  and  the  unsettHng 
of  traditional  convictions,  and  the  unbalancing  of 
the  religious  poise,  which  the  entrance  of  the  Gos- 
pel must  surely  bring,  as  it  asserts  its  exclusive 
and  sublime  claims  in  the  presence  of  these  great 
ethnic  religions  that  have  hitherto  reigned  with- 
out a  rival  in  Eastern  lands.  It  is  hardly  to  be 
expected  that  the  Mohammedan,  the  Buddhist, 
the  Brahman,  the  Confucianist,  and  others  like 
them,  will  yield  to  the  supremacy  of  the  Gospel 
without  many  curious  and  even  pathetic  attempts 
to  build  their  '*  half-way  houses  to  Christianity," 
or  to  invent  some  compromise  between  the  old 
and  the  new.  It  is  only  a  soul  that  is  born  from 
above  by  the  power  of  the  divine  Spirit  that 
**  rings  out  the  old  and  rings  in  the  new  "  in  hum- 
ble, total,  and  final  surrender  to  Christ.  It  is 
true  still,  especially  among  the  heathen  nations, 
that  "  whosoever  believeth  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ 


THE  PRESENT  CONFLICTS.  187 

is  born  of  God,"  and  he  it  is  only  that,  in  the 
power  of  that  faith,  overcometh  the  world. 

VIII.  We  are  thus  led  to  consider  another  of 
the  conflicts  of  missions.  It  is  a  battle  at  close 
quarters  in  the  realm  of  the  inner  life,  and  it  is 
always  fought  at  a  serious  disadvantage.  We 
refer  to  the  struggle  of  evangelical  truth  with 
the  prejudices,  superstitions,  jealousies,  traditions, 
and  conscientious  convictions  of  the  native  mind. 
The  Gospel  of  Christian  missions  seeks  to  enter 
a  preoccupied  realm.  Its  function  is  still  to  cast 
out  devils,  and  to  scourge  money-changers  from 
the  temple ;  to  rebuke  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees 
and  idolaters ;  to  call  into  question  the  cherished 
convictions  of  the  heart,  and  challenge  the  daily 
practice  of  the  life. 

It  is  impossible  for  us  fully  to  realize  what  a 
mental  and  spiritual  revolution  is  implied,  what  a 
breaking  of  intellectual  and  religious  caste,  and 
what  a  thorough  and  far-reaching  reorganization 
is  necessitated  by  the  entrance  of  the  Gospel  into 
heathen  communities.  All  things  literally  must 
become  new,  and  man  himself  must  be  made 
a  new  creature  if  the  Gospel  is  to  become  his 


1 88      FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

guide,  his  hope,  and  his  song.  Right  in  the  path 
of  the  Truth,  at  the  very  entrance  of  its  influence 
into  the  spiritual  nature,  stand,  with  keen  alertness 
in  the  aroused  consciousness  of  danger,  the  su- 
perstitions of  a  lifetime,  the  prejudices  that  have 
sunk  their  roots  into  the  very  depths  of  conscious- 
ness, the  customs  that  have  become  a  second 
nature,  the  hopes  that  have  been  fondly  cherished, 
the  traditions  that  have  gathered  weight  through 
generations ;  and  the  Gospel  does  not  simply 
regenerate  the  heart,  but  in  so  doing  it  stirs  up 
fearful  questions  about  the  fate  of  ancestors,  and 
trembling  apprehensions  about  the  prospects  of 
children.  It  must  cross  the  trend  of  national  ex- 
pectations, and  seem  to  reverse  the  whole  mean- 
ing of  history.  It  must  shiver  the  old  intellectual 
and  religious  formulae,  break  the  old  molds  of 
thought,  ruin  the  old  haunts  of  the  imagination, 
and  make  the  deepest  and  strongest  religious 
experiences  of  the  soul  as  if  they  had  not  been. 
Things  that  are  must  become  as  if  they  were  not. 
Things  that  seem  to  be  foolish  must  put  to  shame 
those  that  have  hitherto  seemed  wise,  and  things 
that  have  been  considered  weak  and  base,  and 
things  that  are  despised,   must  bring  to  naught 


THE  PRESENT  CONFLICTS.  1 89 

the  mighty  things  that  are.  Old  friendships  must 
be  broken,  family  glory  must  be  dimmed,  long- 
cherished  pride  humbled,  natural  timidity  must 
be  conquered,  social  inertia  must  be  overcome, 
irresolution  must  be  cast  aside,  hereditary  indis- 
position to  change  must  be  banished,  personal 
interest  must  be  sacrificed,  worldly  loss  must  be 
faced,  the  alliance  with  civil  and  ecclesiastical 
power  must  be  forfeited,  and  a  leap  into  the  un- 
known and  untried  experiences  of  an  absolutely 
new  religion  must  be  taken,  and  all  upon  the  basis 
of  what  seems  to  be  comparatively  slender  histor- 
ical evidence,  and  what  appears  to  be  a  somewhat 
questionable  voucher  of  superiority,  without  the 
familiar  ecla^  of  public  approval  and  the  support 
of  government  sanction.  The  native  convert  is, 
in  fact,  about  to  accept  deliberately  and  finally  a 
religion  without  an  emperor,  without  a  ruler  among 
men,  without  a  visible  representative  from  the 
official  ranks  of  the  nation,  without  an  army  at 
its  back,  without  a  verified  promise  of  material 
good  or  an  assurance  of  physical  protection,  with 
absolutely  nothing  to  cling  to  except  perhaps  the 
loving  heart-throb  of  some  missionary  teacher, 
the    soul-subduing    tenderness    of    a   new-found 


I90     FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

Saviour,  and  those  wondrous  promises  of  an  in- 
visible Lord. 

Do  you  wonder  that  there  is  a  conflict  here 
which  has  taxed  all  the  resources  of  Christian 
missions,  and  which  has  made  every  victory  of 
the  Gospel  a  spiritual  marvel  in  which  **  one  has 
chased  a  thousand,  and  two  have  put  ten  thousand 
to  flight "  ?  I  believe  we  cannot  and  do  not 
realize  the  spiritual  glory  and  sublimity  of  our 
missionary  triumphs.  I  believe  there  are  miracles 
of  grace  in  our  day  which  are  not  surpassed  in 
power  by  any  in  human  history.  How  it  would 
startle  the  world  if  a  modern  railway  train  should 
go  shooting  across  the  continent  of  Africa,  clear- 
ing its  own  way,  laying  its  own  road-bed,  build- 
ing as  if  by  magic  its  own  bridges,  and  leaving 
behind  its  spinning  wheels  a  permanent  achieve- 
ment which  would  represent  millions  of  money, 
and  an  incalculable  expenditure  of  toil  and  triumph 
of  skill!  Yet  there  is  to-day  more  of  God,  more 
of  His  Spirit,  more  of  His  power,  more  of  His 
manifest  intervention  in  that  magnificent  "  high- 
way for  our  God  "  which  the  missionary  toils  of 
the  century  have  opened  up  into  the  wilderness 
depths  of   the  world's   heathenism   than   in   any 


THE  PRESENT  CONFLICTS.  191 

mere  miracle  of  physical  achievement  '*A  little 
one  /ms  become  a  thousand,  and  a  small  one  a 
strong  nation,"  and  the  Lord  is  hastening  it  in 
His  time.  Let  us  recognize  His  hand,  and  give 
Him  the  glory. 

IX.  I  have  only  time  for  a  brief  word  in  con- 
clusion, with  reference  to  the  conflict  of  Chris- 
tian missions  with  the  Prince  of  Darkness  and 
his  immemorial  ally,  the  fallen  nature  of  man.  It 
is  the  old  story  of  the  Gospel  at  war  with  sin  and 
ignorance.  It  is  the  old  mysterious  conflict  with 
"  principalities  and  powers,  and  the  rulers  of  this 
darkness,  and  the  spiritual  hosts  of  wickedness  in 
the  heavenly  places."  The  sinful  heart  is  Satan's 
stronghold.  All  other  difficulties  would  vanish 
if  ignorance,  apathy,  and  love  of  sin  would  give 
place  to  humble  teachableness,  sincere  penitence, 
and  a  cry  for  mercy.  The  heathen  the  world 
over  are  sinners,  salvable,  but,  so  far  as  we  have 
any  reasonable  basis  of  hope,  in  the  immense 
majority  of  instances  as  yet  unsaved.  They  are 
possible  (perhaps  in  many  cases  more  possible 
than  we  realize)  but  yet  not  actual  subjects  of 
mercy.     Judged  by  any  standard,  they   cannot 


192      FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

be  admitted  to  heaven  without  the  atoning  me- 
diation of  Christ  and  the  spiritual  transformation 
of  the  Gospel.  There  is,  then,  just  as  much  need 
of  sending  them  the  Gospel,  and  just  as  much 
propriety  in  giving  it  to  them  as  to  any  other 
class  of  human  beings.  The  vital  question  for 
us  to  discuss  and  decide  is  not  whether  the  hea- 
then will  be  saved  without  the  Gospel,  but  can 
they  be  saved  by  it?  The  former  question  is  too 
mysterious,  too  speculative,  and  too  difficult  to 
be  decided  by  the  light  either  of  reason  or  reve- 
lation. The  question.  Can  they  be  saved  by  it? 
is  clear,  practical,  stimulating,  and  hopeful.  It  is 
enough  for  us  to  have  settled  the  salvability  of 
the  heathen  as  over  against  the  immensely  pre- 
ponderating danger  of  their  perishing  in  their  sins 
without  it.  In  the  presence  of  the  lurid  glare  and 
the  terrific  roar  of  the  flames  in  a  burning  build- 
ing, we  never  stop  to  discuss  with  reference  to 
those  in  peril  the  question  of  the  probability  of 
their  escape  without  our  help.  We  decide  rather 
the  possibility  of  rescue  with  our  help,  and,  that 
question  once  decided,  we  give  the  help  without 
delay,  and  our  re\vard  is  the  joy  of  rescue,  and 
this  is  the  crowning  joy  of  missions. 


THE  PRESENT  CONFLICTS.  193 

Out  of  all  the  difficulties  and  conflicts  of  mis- 
sions comes,  however,  a  measure  of  success  which 
gladdens  earth  and  heaven,  and  brings  refresh- 
ment and  cheer  and  solace  to  humble  and  prayer- 
ful souls.  There  is  already  enough  of  substantial 
results  in  missions  to  justify  a  modern  edition  of 
the  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  to  add  another  chapter 
to  Christian  apologetics,  to  make  luminous  with 
new  light  the  prophecies  of  God's  Word,  and  to 
add  a  clearer,  deeper,  and  sweeter  strain  to  the  as 
yet  faint  and  far-away  melodies  of  the  golden  age. 
Let  the  Church  awake  to  the  realities  of  Christian 
missions.  The  kingdom  is  too  shadowy  to  the  chil- 
dren of  the  King.  The  history  of  this  wondrous 
century  is  too  much  of  a  dream,  passing  time  is 
too  much  of  a  plaything,  and  this  mortal  is  as  if 
it  were  not  destined  for  immortality.  The  great 
Reformation  brought  us  Hfe  in  doctrine ;  the  mis- 
sionary reformation  of  this  century  is  more  and 
more  to  bring  us  life  in  service.  The  former 
delivered  the  Church  from  the  dark  ages  of  form- 
alism and  spiritual  slavery ;  the  latter  will  deliver 
the  Church  from  the  dark  ages  of  indifference  and 
spiritual  inaction.  The  true  life  of  the  Church  is 
coming  in  the  triumphs  of  the  missionary  idea. 


LECTURE  IV. 

THE  PRESENT-DAY  PROBLEMS  OF  THEORY 
AND  METHOD  IN  MISSIONS. 


195 


"More  and  more  am  I  convinced  that  the  hope  of  this  great 
land  \Indid\  lies  in  the  educated  Chj'istian  natives.  The  mis- 
sionary cannot  Christianize  the  land.  N^o  foreigner  can  evangel- 
ize another  country  than  his  orvn  ;  the  springs  of  religions  life 
must  be  fotind  in  the  soil  itself  For  many  a  year,  perhaps  for 
many  a  century,  the  work  of  the  missionary  7vill  not  be  finished 
in  India,  but  after  all,  hozvever  long  continued,  it  is  essentially 
pioneer  and  foundation  7vork.  Wisely  have  the  American  Board 
missionaries,  like  the  Pilgrim  Fathers,  everywhere  planted  the 
schoolhouse  side  by  side  with  the  church.  In  these  ttvin  build- 
ings lies  the  hope  of  India.'''' — Rev.  Francis  E.  Clark,  D.D. 

"Looking,  then,  at  our  churches  in  their  relation  to  the  mis- 
sionary work,  zahat  we  wish  for  those  at  home  is  a  paramount 
loyalty  to  Christ,  and  a  sense  of  direct,  personal  responsibility  to 
Him  for  the  spread  of  His  Gospel.  We  7vish,  also,  the  simplest, 
most  econo)nical,  and  efficient  possible  organization  for  reaching 
the  unevangelized  world.  For  the  churches  abroad,  gathered  by 
missionary  labor,  rue  zuish  the  earliest  possible  period  of  self-guid- 
ance and  self-support.  This  is  the  result  of  our  labors  that  we 
wish  to  see — self-guiding  and  self-supporting  churches.  For  self- 
guidance  we  prepare  them  by  instruction  and  by  giving  them  the 
Scriptures.  Self-support  in  its  pri7tciple  lue  insist  on.  This  we 
do  for  the  sake  of  the  mission  churches  themselves  as  well  as  our 
own.''^ — President  Mark  Hopkins,  D.D.,  LL.D. 


196 


IV. 


THE  PRESENT-DA  V  PROBLEMS  OF  THE  OR  V 
AND  METHOD  IN  MISSIONS. 

We  have  considered  the  present- day  conflicts 
of  mission  fields,  and  have  found  that,  under  ex- 
isting conditions,  these  conflicts  are  the  inevitable 
outcome  of  aggressive  missionary  activity.  There 
arises,  however,  in  connection  with  the  successful 
advance  of  missionary  effort,  a  succession  of  per- 
plexing and  serious  difficulties,  which  may  more 
properly  be  considered  as  problems  to  be  solved 
than  as  conflicts  to  be  fought  out.  Conflicts  arise 
in  connection  with  hindrances  to  be  overcome, 
obstacles  to  be  removed,  and  active  opposition  to 
be  subdued  and  conquered.  Problems  arise  in 
connection  with  difficulties  to  be  solved,  methods 
to  be  adopted,  principles  to  be  enforced,  and 
adaptations  to  be  made  in  adjusting  the  Gospel 
to  new  and  untried  conditions  in  the  world. 

Problems,  like  conflicts,  are  inevitable,  and  we 

197 


198     FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

need  not  be  discouraged  If  they  press  hard  and 
long,  and  seem  to  be  for  the  time  being  insoluble. 
God  has  trained  His  Church  in  the  school  of 
problems,  and  we  have  no  reason  to  doubt  His 
presence  and  favor  in  connection  with  missionary 
enterprise  because  of  perplexities  and  difficulties 
which  call  for  wisdom,  patience,  and  prayerful 
dependence  upon  divine  help  for  their  solution. 
"  The  blood  of  the  martyrs  is  the  seed  of  the 
Church,"  and  in  the  same  sense  the  problems  of 
practical  Christianity  have  a  noble  mission  in 
quickening  thought,  arousing  energy,  developing 
power,  teaching  dependence,  and  giving  wisdom, 
patience,  and  facility  of  adaptation  to  the  Church 
in  pushing  on  her  work  in  the  world. 

The  problems  of  mission  fields  are  often  espe- 
cially complex  and  disheartening,  and  beyond  the 
scope  of  human  wisdom  to  master.  They  arise 
out  of  such  a  variety  of  conditions,  touch  such  a 
multiplicity  of  interests,  involve  such  intangible 
forces,  deal  with  such  multiform  phases  of  human 
nature,  and  seem  to  be  so  barren  of  possible  solu- 
tions, that  the  only  way  to  deal  with  them  is 
slowly  and  patiently  to  feel  our  way  along  in  the 
dark,  until  some  glimmer  of  light  gives  the  clue 


THE  PRESENT  PROBLEMS.  1 99 

to  an  exit  to  the  region  of  hopeful  solution. 
Each  mission  field  has  many  problems  in  com- 
mon with  all  others,  and  at  the  same  time  is 
likely  to  develop  some  which  are  special  to  itself. 
We  have  now  to  invite  your  attention  to  some  of 
these  problems  which  are  pressing  at  the  present 
hour. 

I.  I  shall  venture  first  of  all  to  say  a  few  words 
with  reference  to  the  problem  of  theory.  This  is 
perhaps  a  matter  which  has  more  to  do  with  the 
home  side  of  foreign  missions  than  with  the  dis- 
tant fields  of  labor,  and  yet  a  moment's  reflection 
will  convince  us  that  this  is  a  far-reaching  prob- 
lem, and  that  it  concerns  the  interests  of  the  for- 
eign field  in  a  very  direct  and  important  sense, 
inasmuch  as  the  proper  support  and  efficient  con- 
duct of  missions  depend  so  largely  upon  a  correct 
theory  of  the  whole  enterprise  in  the  minds  of 
Christians  at  home.  This  subject  has  always 
been  important,  but  it  has  come  to  the  front  of 
late  in  current  discussions  upon  missions  in  a  way 
which  has  made  it  at  the  present  time  a  question 
of  keen  and  vital  interest  in  its  relations  to  the 
whole  work  of  foreign  missions. 


200     FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

There  is  no  doubt  In  many  minds  a  feeling  of 
painful  perplexity,  disturbed  poise,  vague  ques- 
tioning, and  unhappy  uncertainty  with  reference 
to  the  whole  subject  of  foreign  missions.  Many 
plausible,  bold,  and  even  passionate  statements 
have  been  made,  either  by  tlie  opponents,  or  in 
some  cases  by  the  supposed  friends  of  missions, 
which  seem  to  give  such  a  very  uncertain  sound, 
and  to  introduce  such  an  intangible  element  of 
doubt  into  the  realm  of  missionary  activity,  that 
many  conscientious  and  loyal  Christian  people 
hardly  feel  sure  that  missions  are  necessary,  and 
scarcely  know  why  they  are  undertaken.  One 
of  the  desiderata  in  current  religious  thought 
throughout  the  Church  seems  to  be  a  true,  clear, 
practical,  genial,  rounded,  and  wholesome  theory 
of  missions,  which,  while  loyal  to  the  Bible,  should 
yet  be  free  from  narrow,  extreme,  and  dispropor- 
tionate emphasis  upon  any  one  aspect  of  a  subject 
which  is  necessarily  somev\Ahat  complex  and  com- 
posite. 

A  true  theory  of  missions  involves  correct  ideas 
concerning  the  motive,  the  object,  the  necessity, 
and  the  result  of  missions.  We  must  strike  a 
true  note  with  reference  to  each  of  these  aspects 


THE  PRESENT  PROBLEMS.  201 

of  the  subject,  in  order  to  sound  a  full  and  har- 
monious chord  of  theory.  We  have  only  time  to 
offer  a  suggestion  or  two  along  these  different 
lines  of  approach  to  a  full  and  true  and  compre- 
hensive philosophy  of  missions. 

As  regards  the  motive^  it  is  plainly  love  to 
Christ,  and  obedience  to  His  command.  This 
may  include  more  or  less  of  love  for  lost  souls — 
the  more  the  better — and  of  pity  for  those  in  ig- 
norance and  misery  ;  but  above  all  other  motives 
which  have  a  sustaining,  inspiring,  and  impel- 
ling influence  over  the  Christian  heart  is  love  for 
the  Saviour,  and  a  consciousness  of  obligation  to 
Him,  and  a  desire  to  do  His  will  with  reference 
to  the  proclamation  of  His  Gospel. 

As  regards  the  object  of  missions,  it  is  to  give 
the  Gospel  to  those  who  need  it.  If  the  heathen 
do  not  need  the  Gospel,  then  our  human  race 
could  have  done  without  it.  If  it  is  not  a  bless- 
ing to  them,  then  how  can  we  consider  it  a  bless- 
ing to  us?  If  it  is  a  work  of  supererogation  to 
lake  it  to  them,  why  was  it  not  a  prodigious  mis- 
take to  bring  it  to  us?  What  blessing  or  solace 
or  hope  for  time  and  eternity  has  it  brought  to 
us   which   it   cannot   also   carry   to   them?     The 


202      FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

object,  then,  of  missions  is  simply  the  extension 
among  all  men  of  the  manifold  benefits  of  the 
Gospel.  If  Christ  is  the  best  gift  of  Heaven  to 
earth,  if  the  Gospel  is  the  sweetest  message  of 
God  to  man,  if  the  benefits  of  contact  with  Chris- 
tianity are  unique  and  obtainable,  so  far  as  we 
have  been  informed,  only  through  the  dissemi- 
nation of  the  religion  of  Jesus  Christ,  if  we  who 
have  it  are  responsible  for  the  introduction  of  that 
religion  where  it  is  not  known  and  where  it  can- 
not be  found,  except  as  we  make  it  our  business 
to  give  it,  then  there  is  no  object  which  is  worthy 
of  fixing  the  purpose  of  the  disciples  of  Christ 
which  transcends  in  its  dignity  the  simple  gift  of 
the  Gospel  to  those  who  need  it. 

As  regards  the  necessity  of  the  Gospel  to 
heathen  nations,  there  is  much  in  current  litera- 
ture, and  in  the  lurking  doubts  which  have  taken 
possession  of  many  Christian  minds,  which  would 
either  give  an  entirely  uncertain  response  to  this 
question,  or,  in  varying  degrees  of  boldness  and 
vigor,  deny  altogether  that  missions  are  neces- 
sary. The  difficulty  in  most  minds  seems  to  be 
a  speculative  one.  It  is  to  reconcile  the  justice 
and    love   of   God   with   the   condemnation   of  a 


THE  PRESENT  PROBLEMS.  203 

heathen  soul.  If  the  question  were  with  refer- 
ence to  the  actual  moral  condition  of  a  represen- 
tative heathen,  there  would  probably  be  practical 
unanimity.  If  we  could  inspect  his  character  and 
observe  his  life  and  know  him  thoroughly  within 
and  without,  we  should  in  the  vast  majority  of 
cases  form  a  decided  judgment  as  to  his  moral 
standing.  His  heart  would  be  pronounced  sinful, 
his  nature  morally  depraved,  his  mind  filled  with 
superstition,  and  his  whole  spiritual  and  external 
life  would  be  recognized  as  moving  in  an  atmos- 
phere of  stolid  selfishness  and  hardened  depravity. 
If  the  heathen  commit  crimes  against  interna- 
tional law  or  against  human  rights,  if  they  mur- 
der, or  pillage,  or  practice  their  cruelty  or  duplicity 
upon  those  outside  of  their  immediate  circle  of 
nationahty  or  tribal  kinship  who  are  entitled  to 
the  legal  protection  of  civilized  governments,  then 
there  is  no  question  whatever  with  reference  to 
their  condemnation  and  the  necessity  of  punishing 
them ;  but  when  their  relations  to  divine  law  are 
in  question  there  is  much  vague  and  obscure 
speculation. 

Now,  we  may  lay  down   some   clear  general 
principles,  which  have  a  governing  influence   in 


204     FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

these  matters,  and  in  the  light  of  them  we  may- 
hope  to  reach  some  clarified  convictions.  We 
must  maintain  that  God  is  just  and  loving;  we 
must  maintain  also  that  the  heathen  are  morally 
depraved  and  worthy  of  condemnation,  not  be- 
cause they  sin  against  all  the  light  which  God  has 
given  to  incji,  but  because  they  sin  against  that 
special  measure  of  light  which  He  has  given  to 
them;  and  that  just  as  the  Word  of  God  where  it 
is  fully  known  shall  be  the  judge  of  those  who  sin 
against  its  liglit  and  instruction,  so  the  light  which 
God  has  given,  either  through  nature  or  the  con- 
science, to  those  who  sin  against  that  Hght  will 
be  their  judge,  and  that  judgment  will  be  ren- 
dered in  strict  and  even  transcendent  accord  with 
all  the  principles  of  justice,  and  will  be  not  one 
whit  less  under  the  modifying  power  of  love  and 
pity  than  the  condemnation  which  shall  be  visited 
upon  those  who  sin  against  greater  light.  Pro- 
portionate guilt  and  proportionate  condemnation, 
in  harmony  with  strict  justice,  and  under  the  full 
cognizance  of  love  and  mercy,  is  the  lot  of  an 
impenitent  heathen,  just  as  it  is  the  portion  of 
those  who  sin  in  presence  of  greater  light.  The 
full  recognition  of  this  element  of  proportion  in 


THE  PRESENT  PROBLEMS.  205 

God's  judgment  of  the  heathen  at  once  relieves 
the  mind  of  all  vague  and  painful  apprehension 
of  the  possibility  of  wrong  or  injustice.  It  is 
impossible  that  there  should  be  any  cause  of 
complaint  with  reference  to  the  divine  deaHngs 
with  impenitent  heathen  which  does  not  also 
apply  to  the  impenitent  who  die  in  their  sins 
where  the  Gospel  is  fully  known.  There  never 
can  be,  or  never  will  be,  any  injustice  arising  out 
of  undue  or  disproportionate  severity  in  the  divine 
judgment. 

If,  then,  the  principle  of  justice  be  fully  con- 
ceded, a  large  part  of  the  difficulty  is  removed. 
Much  of  the  current  arraignment  of  Christian 
teaching  with  reference  to  the  guilt  and  danger 
of  the  heathen  is  based  upon  the  imaginary  idea 
that  it  necessarily  involves  injustice  to  ignorant, 
helpless,  and  doomed  humanity.  Let  us  then,  in 
the  light  of  a  clear,  emphatic,  and  unqualified 
recognition  of  the  fact  that  the  justice  and  love 
and  mercy  of  God  will  condition  His  judgment  of 
the  heathen  just  as  much  as  His  judgment  of 
Christendom,  look  once  more  at  the  question  of 
the  necessity  of  missions,  and,  if  the  Gospel  is  the 
power  of  God  to  save,  why  is  it  not  the  power  of 


206      FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

God  to  save  the  heathen  from  his  own  measure 
of  guilt  and  condemnation,  just  as  much  as  it  is 
the  power  of  God  to  save  the  dweller  in  Christen- 
dom from  his  sin  and  its  penalty  ?  If  it  is  a  ne- 
cessity here,  why  is  it  not  a  necessity  there  ?  The 
only  possible  escape  from  the  force  of  this  reason- 
ing is  either  to  consider  the  heathen  guiltless  and 
meritorious,  or  it  is  to  postulate  the  divine  mercy 
and  love  as  accomplishing  for  the  heathen  what  it 
cannot  be  supposed  to  accomplish  for  other  sin- 
ners, except  in  utter  disregard  of  fundamental 
biblical  teachings. 

Of  the  two  possible  solutions  suggested  above, 
the  supposition  that  the  heathen  is  a  guiltless  and 
meritorious  being  is  one  which  cannot  be  main- 
tained without  the  annihilation  of  moral  distinc- 
tions, and,  as  regards  the  second  supposition,  that 
in  some  way  and  at  some  time  by  virtue  of 
some  extra-biblical  provision  there  is  assured 
hope  for  the  heathen,  we  must  exercise  extreme 
care  that  we  should  not  advance  in  connection 
with  this  idea  any  theories  which  are  contrary  to 
Scripture,  or  destructive  of  established  principles. 
It  is  just  here  that  the  currents  of  thought  are 
apt    to    develop    some    whirlpool    of    untenable 


THE  PRESENT  PROBLEMS.  207 

theory.  Probation  after  death  is  unscriptural, 
and  cannot  be  maintained  except  by  an  uncandid, 
forced,  and  perilous  wresting  of  the  Scriptures. 
Supposed  contact  with  and  conscious  rejection 
of  the  historic  Christ  at  some  stage  of  the  soul's 
history  as  a  necessary  pre-essential  of  condemna- 
tion is  a  speculative  theory,  adopted  as  a  relief  to 
a  painful  dilemma,  since  there  is  plenty  of  sin  in 
the  world  which  deserves  judgment,  where  Christ 
is  not  known  nor  His  Gospel  rejected.  Mercy 
without  penitence  is  an  untenable  thought,  as  it 
admits  pride  and  immorality  into  the  presence  of 
God. 

There  is,  however,  a  measure  of  relief  in  addi- 
tion to  that  secured  by  the  certainty  of  scrupu- 
lous fairness  and  absolute  justice  in  God's  attitude 
toward  all  men,  which  has  been  already  referred 
to,  in  that  God  is  absolutely  sovereign  in  the 
dispensation  of  the  benefits  of  Christ's  redemp- 
tion. He  has  been  pleased  to  make  explicit 
requirements  which  condition  the  securing  of 
these  benefits  wherever  Christ  and  His  atoning 
mediation  are  revealed  to  human  consciousness, 
but  He  has  nowhere  declared  that  in  cases  where 
Christ's  mediation  is  absolutely  unrevealed  there 


208      FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

is  no  hope  whatever  of  obtaining  its  benefits. 
He  has  nowhere  said  that  humiHty  and  penitence 
and  trust  and  prayer,  with  the  conscious  recogni- 
tion of  demerit  and  dependence,  shall  be  inevi- 
tably in  vain  where  Christ  is  unknown.  This 
would  be  making  divine  mercy  and  pity  and 
compassion  and  love  merely  the  servants  and 
attendants  upon  divine  revelation  in  its  full  and 
completed  form.  It  would  mean  that  where  the 
Bible  does  not  go,  there  divine  mercy  cannot 
enter,  and  Christ's  work  is  unavailable,  and  divine 
pity  is  necessarily  inoperative.  The  result  would 
be  to  close  absolutely  the  door  of  hope,  as  by 
a  divine  fiat,  to  the  great  mass  of  the  human 
race. 

Now,  if  this  is  going  to  be  done,  God  is  the 
only  one  who  should  do  it,  and  we  know  that  it 
never  will  be  done  unless  both  His  love  and  jus- 
tice assent  to  it.  There  seems  to  be  nothing, 
however,  in  the  divine  character,  or  in  the  divine 
dealings  with  humanity,  or  in  the  revealed  Word, 
which  forbids  the  hope  that  God  in  His  sover- 
eignty is  able,  if  He  wishes,  to  exercise  His 
mercy,  where  it  does  not  conflict  with  other 
attributes,  in  cases  where  the  object  of  mercy  is 


THE  PRESENT  PROBLEMS.  209 

in  such  an  attitude  of  humble,  childHke  self- 
renunciation  and  dependence  upon  divine  help 
that  there  is  no  obstacle  to  his  receiving  the 
benefits  of  Christ's  death  as  the  gift  of  divine 
grace ;  just  as  these  benefits  are  granted  to  one 
who,  in  the  full  knowledge  of  the  Christian 
scheme,  seeks  reconcihation  with  God,  through 
humble  acceptance  of  an  offered  Saviour.  Who 
of  us  would  dare  to  close  this  door  of  hope,  and 
to  decide  ex  cathedra  that  God  is  helpless,  even 
though  Christ  has  died,  and  the  Spirit  lives,  to 
save  a  soul  to  whom  He  has  not  been  pleased  to 
transmit  in  its  fullness  the  revelation  of  His  re- 
demptive methods?  It  has  been  His  plan,  more- 
over, to  leave  the  distribution  of  the  knowledge 
of  Christ  to  a  Church  full  of  human  imperfec- 
tions, which  He  knew,  even  though  the  matter 
were  committed  unreservedly  to  its  hands,  would 
be  careless  and  selfish  about  this  sacred  trust  to 
an  extent  which  would  involve  the  possible  loss 
of  unknown  millions  of  souls.  It  may  be  noted 
also  that  it  is  not  fullness  of  knowledge,  or  clari- 
fied intellectual  comprehension  of  divine  methods, 
that  God  requires,  even  in  Christian  lands,  so 
much  as  humble  recognition  of  unworthiness,  and 


210     FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

sincere  penitence,  and  trustful  reliance  upon  His 
divine  compassion  and  power  to  save. 

We  would  not  advance  this  message  of  hope 
as  an  essential  doctrine  of  Christian  theology,  or 
even  a  clear  and  specific  teaching  of  the  divine 
Word,  since  God  has  been  pleased  to  keep  His 
own  counsel  with  reference  to  the  possibilities  of 
divine  mercy ;  but  as  we  hope  and  believe  in  the 
appHcation  of  the  benefits  of  Christ's  redeeming 
work  to  all  infants  dying  before  they  reach  the 
age  of  responsibility,  so  we  may  hope  and  believe 
that  there  is  a  possibility  also  of  the  extension  of 
this  principle  of  grace  to  those  of  adult  years 
among  the  heathen  who  consciously,  whether 
under  the  guidance  of  the  natural  conscience  or 
in  response  to  the  influences  of  the  divine  Spirit, 
take  before  God  an  attitude  of  humble  depend- 
ence, and  seek  salvation,  not  upon  the  basis  of 
merit,  but  on  the  basis  of  mercy,  and  look  to 
Him  in  penitence  and  prayer.  God  would  not 
be  God  were  He  to  turn  a  deaf  ear  to  the  cry  of 
the  humble,  penitent,  and  trustful  soul,  even 
though  that  cry  came  out  of  the  darkness  of  the 
heathen  heart.  Would  not  God  be  strangely 
untrue  to  Himself  were  He  utterly  unresponsive 


THE  PRESENT  PROBLEMS.  2  I  I 

to  a  prayer  which  must  have  been  prompted 
either  by  the  conscience  which  He  has  implanted, 
or  the  Spirit  which  He  has  sent?  The  poet 
Southey,  in  some  lines  which  he  has  written  in 
imitation  of  the  Persian,  has  voiced  such  a  prayer 
in  the  following  touching  petition : 

"  Lord!  who  art  merciful  as  well  as  just, 
Incline  Thine  ear  to  me,  a  child  of  dust! 
Not  what  I  would,  O  Lord,  I  offer  Thee, 

Alas!  but  what  I  can. 
Father  Almighty,  who  hast  made  me  man, 
And  bade  me  look  to  heaven,  for  Thou  art  there, 
Accept  my  sacrifice  and  humble  prayer ; 
Four  things  which  are  not  in  Thy  treasury 
I  lay  before  Thee,  Lord,  with  this  petition, 

My  nothingness  and  wants. 

My  sins  and  my  contrition." 

It  is  entirely  another  matter,  and  simply  a 
question  of  fact,  whether  many  or  few  take  this 
attitude  of  humility  and  trust  before  God.  In  no 
case  could  such  an  attitude  be  regarded  as  ac- 
ceptable to  God  were  it  not  accompanied  by  an 
earnest  struggle  after  righteous  living  and  true 
obedience.  Alas!  we  have  reason  to  fear  that 
few  in  the  heathen  world  are  seeking  God  and 
asking  His  mercy  in  the  spirit  we  have  indicated. 


2  12      FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

It  may  be  said,  moreover,  in  this  connection,  even 
were  it  true  that  many  honest  and  sincere  heathen 
souls  were  seeking  God  in  a  spirit  of  humble 
teachableness,  penitence,  and  trust,  and  were 
making  a  strenuous  endeavor  to  walk  in  obedi- 
ence to  the  light  which  God  has  given  them,  that 
this  would  not  make  it  one  whit  less  important 
and  obligatory  that  the  full  light  and  guidance 
of  the  Gospel  should  be  carried  not  only  to  them, 
but  to  those  around  them  who  are  living  in  viola- 
tion of  conscience,  and  in  the  indulgence  of  every 
known  sin.  Whatever  measure  of  relief  may  be 
brought  to  this  appalling  problem  of  the  fate  of 
the  heathen  by  the  hope  of  the  possible  salvation 
of  so7ne,  it  still  remains  overwhelmingly  true  that 
the  Gospel  is  necessary  both  to  those  concerning 
whom  it  might  be  possible  to  cherish  hope,  and 
to  those  whose  relations  to  God  are,  so  far  as  we 
have  any  light  to  judge,  utterly  hopeless.  It  is 
necessary  in  order  to  give  full  light  and  guidance 
to  those  who  may  be  feeling  and  searching  after 
God,  and  also  to  the  great  mass  of  humanity  who 
are  doubtless  living  in  utter  indifference  and  cal- 
lousness, wilHng  slaves  to  sin,  and  shallow  devo- 
tees to  empty  formalism. 


THE  PRESENT  PROBLEMS.  213 

The  necessity  for  the  Gospel  may  still  be 
urged,  not  upon  the  sole  plea  that  there  is  abso- 
lutely no  possibility  of  salvation,  even  theoreti- 
cally, without  it,  but  rather  that  it  is  the  divinely 
ordered,  the  divinely  effective,  the  divinely  blessed 
agency  for  enlightening,  persuading,  convincing, 
and  winning  the  soul  from  nature's  darkness, 
weakness,  and  peril  to  the  light  and  life  of  assured 
reconciliation  and  peace.  It  is  the  accredited  in- 
strumentality for  transforming  character.  For  all 
these  purposes  the  Gospel  has  been  commissioned, 
and  we  have  been  commanded  to  disseminate  it, 
and  wherever  it  has  been  tried  it  has  proved  an 
unfailing  resource.  It  is  the  power  of  God  put 
into  our  hands,  and  we  are  bidden  to  use  it  as  the 
one  transcendently  wise  and  permanently  effect- 
ive agency  for  saving  all  men.  Nothing  else  has 
been  given  us  by  God,  and  has  been  so  chosen 
and  honored  by  Him  as  the  one  supi'emely  blessed 
instrumentality  for  illumining  the  mind,  arousing 
the  conscience,  leading  to  repentance,  subduing, 
melting,  and  humbling  the  heart,  and  giving  a 
gracious  energy  to  the  will,  as  this  Gospel  of  our 
Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ.  To  cast  a  doubt 
upon  its  value,  its  efficiency,  its  necessity,  is  to 


214     FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

substitute  human  opinion  for  the  wisdom  of  God. 
Whatever  hopes  we  may  cherish  with  reference 
to  the  possibilities  of  divine  mercy,  we  must  ever 
recognize  the  atoning  work  of  Christ  as  the  basis 
and  condition  of  the  exercise  of  mercy,  in  the 
sense  that  divine  mercy  is  operative  only  in  con- 
nection with  Christ's  atonement,  whether  that 
atoning  sacrifice  is  intelligently  accepted  by  the 
sinner,  or  its  benefits  unconsciously  received  in 
response  to  prayer  for  pardon.  God  has  given  us 
the  Gospel  as  His  own  chosen  means  for  bringing 
all  men  into  the  kingdom,  and  it  is  absolutely  the 
only  means  which  He  has  commissioned  us  to  use. 
We  believe,  then,  in  the  Gospel  first  and  last,  as 
the  prime  necessity  in  the  case  of  all  men,  and 
that  we  are  bound  to  preach  and  teach  it  through- 
out the  world. 

It  remains  to  say  a  word  with  reference  to  the 
fourth  essential  of  a  rounded  theory  of  missions, 
and  that  is  the  result  to  be  aimed  at.  It  is  not 
simply  preaching  the  Gospel  for  a  witness,  or,  in 
other  words,  the  mere  evangelization  of  the  earth 
in  distinction  from  Its  conversion.  This  is  a  very 
insufficient  and  imperfect  statement  of  the  scope, 
magnitude,  and  significance  of  this  great  duty  of 


THE  PRESENT  PROBLEMS.  215 

the  Church  to  the  world.  It  is  a  most  inadequate 
conception  of  the  result  proposed,  that  it  is  simply 
to  proclaim  the  Gospel  in  all  human  ears,  and 
bear  witness  to  its  existence  before  all  men.  The 
result  which  we  should  seek  is  broader,  more  com- 
prehensive, more  permanently  fruitful  than  this. 
It  is  to  plant  Christianity  among  the  nations ;  it  is 
to  bring  individual  souls,  entire  communities  and 
whole  nations  into  living  contact  with  its  power ; 
it  is  to  propagate  and  establish  the  spiritual  king- 
dom of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ  through- 
out the  earth,  and  at  the  same  time  to  develop,  as 
far  as  possible,  self-supporting,  self-perpetuating, 
organized  agencies,  which  shall  be  Christian  in 
their  animus  and  influence  and  power. 

The  result  aimed  at  in  Christian  missions  in- 
volves as  essential  to  their  permanent  success : 

First.  The  material  plant,  which  is  educational, 
literary,  philanthropic,  and  evangelistic,  and  in 
its  scope  includes  Christian  education,  Christian 
literature,  Christian  philanthropy,  and  Christian 
evangelization.  It  implies  organized  churches, 
native  agencies,  and  Christian  institutions  planted 
in  heathen  soil  upon  a  self-supporting  and  self- 
propagating  basis. 


2l6      FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

Second.  In  addition  to  the  material  plant,  it 
implies  the  Scriptural  leaven  which  represents  the 
power  of  the  truth  working  to  produce  convic- 
tion, to  guide,  persuade,  and  instruct  the  mind, 
undermining  prejudices,  overthrowing  supersti- 
tions, dislodging  formaHties,  producing  humility, 
and  leavening  the  mind  and  heart  with  the  trans- 
forming influence  of  God's  truth. 

Third.  To  the  material  plant  and  the  Scriptural 
leaven  we  add  the  spiritual  energy  which  is  the 
result  of  the  working  of  the  divine  Spirit,  and 
includes  regeneration,  conversion,  and  righteous 
living,  kindling  the  zeal,  deepening  the  consecra- 
tion, quickening  the  sympathy,  and  developing 
the  piety  of  the  heart.  The  aim  of  Christian 
missions  is  to  Christianize  this  earth,  to  transform 
humanity  by  the  power  of  truth  and  by  the 
agency  of  the  Spirit,  through  the  message  of  the 
Gospel,  and  it  is  to  do  this  in  the  case  of  individ- 
ual lives  among  the  old  and  the  young,  grouping 
these  lives  into  organized  churches,  and  lifting  the 
Gospel,  with  all  its  ministries  and  with  its  divine 
authority  and  divine  efficiency,  to  the  supreme 
place  in  the  individual  heart,  in  the  social  life, 
and  in  the  national  organization.     Christianity,  like 


THE  PRESENT  PROBLEMS.  21  J 

ivy,  grows  upon  some  solid  support.  From  the 
days  of  the  apostles  it  has  sought  to  identify 
itself  with  substantial,  permanent  bases  and  in- 
stitutions. 

If  it  is  objected  that  there  is  not  enough  of  the 
witnessing  element  in  all  this,  we  affirm  that  it  is 
the  very  best  kind  of  witnessing;  it  is  material, 
intellectual,  social,  systematic,  declarative,  evan- 
gelistic ;  it  is  a  rounded,  permanent,  pervasive, 
incisive,  self-perpetuating,  cumulative,  loyal,  per- 
suasive, loving,  personal  witnessing  for  Christ, 
and  to  Him.  It  tells  the  whole  story  of  His 
Gospel  and  its  mission.  It  lives,  it  breathes,  it 
throbs,  it  sways,  it  impels,  it  solidifies  results,  and 
fixes  the  Gospel  with  a  permanent  grip  and  an 
abiding  power  in  the  hearts  and  homes,  the 
schools  and  churches,  the  social  and  religious 
experience  of  heathen  peoples  and  nationalities, 
whose  future  is  just  beginning  to  take  shape,  and 
who  are  on  the  threshold  of  the  twentieth  century 
of  human  history.  It  will  make  it  the  joy  of 
heathendom  to  live  in  the  twentieth  century,  as 
it  is  now  the  joy  of  Christendom  to  live  in  the 
nineteenth  century. 

And  now  in  the  light  of  these  considerations 


2l8      FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

we  gather  up  our  thoughts,  and  state  what  we 
beHeve  to  be  the  true  theory  of  missions.  It  is 
the  preaching  and  teaching  of  the  Gospel  out  of 
love  to  the  Master  who  commands  it,  to  those 
who  need  it,  and  to  whom,  so  far  as  our  knowl- 
edge or  information  goes,  it  is  a  universal  neces- 
sity, with  the  purpose  of  propagating  Christianity 
throughout  the  earth,  and  bringing  all  men  into 
both  the  visible  and  invisible  kingdom  of  our 
Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ. 

II.  We  turn  now  from  the  problem  of  theory 
to  that  of  finance.  This,  although  primarily 
rather  a  problem  belonging  to  the  home  adminis- 
tration, is  also  one  of  great  practical  importance 
in  the  conduct  of  missions  abroad.  Our  foreign 
mission  work  has  been  conducted  by  the  volun- 
tary contributions  of  Christians  at  home,  with  the 
exception  of  small  amounts  which  have  been 
raised  on  the  field.  The  administrative  agency 
of  these  funds  has  been  either  a  society,  such,  for 
example,  as  the  London  Missionary  Society,  and 
the  American  Board,  or  an  authorized  board  or 
committee  appointed  and  delegated  by  the 
Church  to  serve  in   that  capacity.     There   have 


THE  PRESENT  PROBLEMS.  219 

been  also  a  few  agencies  of  a  more  private  char- 
acter, and  some  independent  missionaries  sup- 
ported by  personal  contributions.  It  is  almost  an 
axiom  of  policy  in  this  great  and  complex  work 
that  some  responsible  administrative  agency  is 
essential  to  secure  wisdom,  efficiency,  economy, 
and  orderly  control  in  a  work  so  extensive,  and 
so  liable,  without  constant  oversight  and  firm 
guidance,  to  lapse  into  confused,  irregular,  and 
sporadic  methods.  The  policy  of  establishing 
direct  and  independent  relations  between  foreign 
missionaries  and  their  work  on  the  one  hand,  and 
individuals  or  individual  churches  on  the  other, 
while  it  might  produce  a  temporary  develop- 
ment of  interest  and  a  new  sense  of  responsi- 
bility, would  soon  result  in  confusion,  misunder- 
standing, and  disjointed  administration,  involving 
a  loss  of  efficiency  and  a  general  slovenliness  of 
method  which  would  work  serious  injury  to  the 
cause.  The  plan  of  the  organized  society,  or  the 
delegated  board,  or  the  official  committee,  is  the 
one  which  has  commended  itself  to  the  Christian 
Church  by  long  experience,  and  increasingly  so 
in  these  days  of  administrative  responsibilities  and 
perplexing  problems.     The  large  financial  inter- 


220      FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

ests  involved  call  for  the  most  careful,  wise,  and 
conscientious  distribution  of  sacred  money. 

In  connection  with  this  problem  of  finance,  two 
points  are  of  special  importance : 

First.  While  conserving  the  voluntary  element 
in  the  contributions  of  the  churches,  to  secure  at 
the  same  time  a  firmer  hold  upon  the  conscience 
of  the  giver,  and  bring  the  contribution  to  foreign 
missions  into  closer  touch  with  a  sense  of  respon- 
sibility, and  a  conviction  of  duty,  and  an  abiding 
spirit  of  loyalty  to  the  Master.  Some  method 
must  be  devised  by  which  these  voluntary  con- 
tributions to  foreign  missions  shall  appeal  not 
simply  to  impulse  or  to  choice  or  to  inclination, 
but  to  an  abiding  conviction,  a  profound  sense 
of  duty,  a  consciousness  of  sacred  obligation,  and 
a  deep  spirit  of  personal  loyalty  to  our  Lord. 
Giving  to  foreign  missions  must  become  in  our 
churches  a  matter  of  Christian  honor  and  unfal- 
tering consecration.  Just  as  a  man  of  high  busi- 
ness integrity  honors  his  note,  so  Christians 
should  honor  this  debt  to  Christ  and  humanity. 
It  is  felt  by  prominent  societies,  and  especially 
by  our  own  Presbyterian  Board,  that  some  wise 
method   must   be   devised   for   securing    a    more 


THE  PRESENT  PROBLEMS.  221 

assured  stability  to  the  income,  and  a  more  con- 
scientious attitude  on  the  part  of  the  giver. 
Responsibilities  of  administration  to  the  extent  of 
over  a  million  a  year  are  now  regularly  assumed, 
with  the  possibility  of  a  shortage  in  funds  which 
may  become  paralyzing  in  a  single  year.  It  is 
plain,  moreover,  that  the  resources  of  the  Church 
in  this  matter  of  foreign  missions  are  very  imper- 
fectly and  disproportionately  drawn  upon  by  the 
present  methods. 

Second.  Another  point  which  calls  for  consid- 
eration in  this  connection  has  to  do  rather  with 
administration  in  the  foreign  field.  It  is  to  make 
such  an  economical  adjustment  of  expenditures 
in  our  mission  fields  that  we  shall  not  be  unnec- 
essarily duplicating  work  and  wasting  resources. 
We  must  not  allow  any  spirit  of  rivalry  or 
denominational  pride  to  lead  to  the  multiplication 
of  educational  facilities,  or  of  other  missionary 
agencies,  where  by  mutual  arrangement  the  work 
could  be  done  by  one  institution,  and  so  avoid 
the  expense  of  several.  This  is  an  aspect  of  for- 
eign missionary  finance  which  is  being  carefully 
considered  by  missionary  societies  occupying  the 
same  field.     There  is  reason  to  expect  that  the 


222      FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

Spirit  of  cooperation  will  secure  a  wise  economy 
of  expenditure,  and  to  this  end  there  is  at  the 
present  time  a  concerted  movement  toward  con- 
sultation, and  mutual  adaptation  of  resources  on 
the  part  of  missionary  organizations  at  home.  A 
conviction  is  growing  that  there  is  danger  of 
waste  in  the  multiplication  of  agencies  in  many 
fields,  and  that  practical  cooperation  is  the  true 
method  for  reducing  expenses,  especially  where 
churches  of  the  same  polity  are  working  side  by 
side,  whose  differences  in  creed  are  rather  matters 
of  shading  in  doctrine  than  of  divergence  in  es- 
sentials. This  policy  of  cooperation  must  extend 
also  to  a  reasonable  uniformity  in  salaries  and 
disbursements,  both  in  the  case  of  foreign  mis- 
sionaries themselves,  and  of  native  agents.  The 
Church  must  have  the  surest  guarantees  that  its 
contributions  are  spent  wisely  and  to  the  best 
advantage,  and  to  this  high  purpose  all  minor 
differences  and  rivalries,  or  merely  personal  pref- 
erences and  ambitions,  must  be  made  strictly 
subservient. 

III.  The  next  problem  which  we  shall  consider 
briefly  is  that  of  cooperation,  which  suggests  also 


THE  PRESENT  PROBLEMS.  223 

the  larger  problem  of  unity  in  the  foreign  field. 
The  duty  and  rule  of  missionary  comity  is  now 
generally  recognized,  and  almost  universally  ob- 
served. Our  large  societies  are  governed  by  a 
spirit  of  scrupulous  courtesy  in  this  matter,  and 
missionaries  upon  the  fields  are  in  full  sympathy 
with  the  obligations  which  this  rule  imposes.  In 
the  recent  Conference  at  Shanghai,  which  was 
attended  by  four  hundred  representatives  of  the 
forty-six  missionary  agencies  in  China,  a  Perma- 
nent Committee  upon  Comity  was  appointed,  to 
whom  should  be  referred  all  questions  of  the 
division  of  fields.  This  rule  of  comity,  however, 
is  only  a  step  in  the  right  direction,  and  leads  us 
to  the  more  important  subject  of  cooperation 
among  Protestant  denominations  in  the  same 
fields.  We  distinguish  here  for  the  present  be- 
tween cooperation  and  organic  union ;  the  former 
is  possible,  and  even  obligatory,  where  the  latter 
may  be  as  yet  impracticable,  or  even  undesirable. 
By  codperation  we  mean  consolidation  of  agen- 
cies in  the  practical  conduct  of  the  work  where 
different  branches  of  the  same  denomination  are 
conducting  work  side  by  side.  This  cooperation 
may  be  accomplished  in  the  foreign  field  without 


224     FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

in  any  way  interfering  with  separate  administra- 
tion in  the  home  churches.  We  have  conspicuous 
illustrations  of  it  in  Japan,  where  the  "  Church  of 
Christ  in  Japan"  is  a  united  organization  which 
has  developed  out  of  the  missionary  activities  of 
six  different  branches  of  the  Reformed  Church 
holding  the  Presbyterian  polity ;  and  at  the  last 
meeting  of  the  Presbyterian  AUiance  at  Toronto, 
an  application  was  made  by  our  Japanese  friends 
to  be  admitted  to  the  Alliance,  as  entitled  to  a 
representation  in  that  body.  Steps  looking  to  a 
similar  result  have  been  taken  for  the  formation 
of  a  united  Presbyterian  Church  of  India,  under 
the  auspices  of  the  Indian  Presbyterian  Alliance. 
A  basis  for  union  has  already  been  agreed  upon, 
which  deals  with  the  questions  of  poHty,  doctrine, 
and  local  organization,  looking  to  one  General  As- 
sembly and  a  number  of  synods  and  presbyteries. 
The  polity  is  to  be  essentially  Presbyterian,  and 
the  doctrine  essentially  evangelical,  embracing 
the  Apostles'  Creed,  the  Nicene  Creed,  and  some 
modern  statement  of  doctrine  to  be  agreed  upon, 
which,  while  conserving  the  essentials  of  Christian 
orthodoxy,  shall  be  conceived  in  a  broad  and 
genial  spirit,  and  be  free  from  all  needless  dog- 


THE  PRESENT  PROBLEMS.  22^ 

matic  entanglements.  The  Alliance  recommends 
in  this  connection  that  the  proposed  Presbyterian 
Church  of  India,  while  acknowledging  first  of  all  its 
allegiance  to  its  own  constitution,  shall  also  hold 
in  veneration  the  Westminster  Confession,  the 
Westminster  Shorter  Catechism,  and  the  Heidel- 
berg Catechism.  A  movement  similar  in  purpose 
and  plan  has  also  been  inaugurated  among  the 
Presbyterian  missions  in  Korea  and  China. 

This  spirit  of  cooperation  is  at  work  in  other 
denominations,  especially  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal and  Congregational.  It  has  not  as  yet,  how- 
ever, reached  a  degree  of  spiritual  enthusiasm 
and  practical  power  sufficient  to  bring  together 
such  kindred  denominations  as  the  Congrega- 
tional and  the  Presbyterian.  An  effort  to  this 
end  has  been  made  in  Japan,  but  in  view  of  the 
many  delicate  questions  and  threatened  embar- 
rassments which  soon  came  to  the  front,  it  has 
been  deferred  indefinitely,  and  it  seems  more 
than  likely  that  the  time  has  not  yet  come  for 
a  larger  organic  union  of  the  historic  Christian 
denominations,  even  on  the  foreign  field.  Per- 
haps at  the  present  stage  of  missions  more  effect- 
ive work  and  more  vigorous  administration  can 


226     FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

be  attained  through  denominational  agencies ; 
but  certainly  a  strict  minimum  of  denominational 
distinctions  should  be  observed  in  all  our  foreign 
missionary  operations. 

If  we  cannot  have  union  between  Presbyte- 
rians, Congregationalists,  Methodists,  Baptists,  and 
Episcopalians,  let  us  at  least  wipe  out  all  minor 
distinctions  and  subdivisions,  so  that  there  shall 
be  but  one  front  and  one  organization  to  each  of 
these  great  denominational  divisions.  The  signs 
of  the  times  indicate  cooperation  and  union  within 
denominational  lines,  as  the  watchword  on  the 
mission  fields.  This  is  wise  and  timely,  both  as 
a  practical  object-lesson  to  the  churches  at  home, 
and  in  the  interests  of  unity  and  efBciency  in  the 
evangelical  churches  of  the  foreign  field.  In  the 
meantime,  much  may  be  done  without  disturbing 
in  the  least  the  cordial  relations  or  the  denomina- 
tional susceptibilities  of  the  churches  at  home,  by 
securing  unity  of  counsel  and  method  in  home 
administration.  Our  boards  and  societies  of  kin- 
dred polity  and  creed  should  have,  in  connection 
with  questions  of  policy,  method,  and  administra- 
tion, one  council-chamber,  where,  in  a  spirit  of 
fraternal    consultation    and    conference,    Hnes    of 


THE  PRESENT  PROBLEMS.  22/ 

policy  may  be  marked  out,  and  lessons  of  expe- 
rience may  be  gathered,  and  unity  of  purpose 
may  be  stimulated.  A  conference  for  these  pur- 
poses, held  under  the  auspices  of  the  Alliance  of 
the  Reformed  Churches,  embracing  the  represent- 
atives of  the  Churches  of  the  Alliance,  was  held 
recently  at  the  Presbyterian  Foreign  Mission 
Rooms  in  New  York.  This  conference  became 
the  basis  of  a  still  larger  fellowship  and  union  of 
the  representatives  of  all  the  Protestant  mission- 
ary societies,  who  met  in  convention  at  the  same 
place  upon  the  day  following  the  previous  gath- 
ering. Representatives  of  seventeen  missionary 
organizations  passed  the  day  in  conference,  and 
in  the  discussion  of  important  subjects  upon 
which  unity  of  aim  and  method  was  desirable. 
Many  questions  of  importance  took  definite  shape 
under  the  impulse  of  that  conference,  and  the 
fruitfulness  and  value  of  such  a  gathering  was 
manifest,  and  the  cordial  and  delightful  fellow- 
ship and  harmony  of  the  occasion  was  unmarred 
by  a  single  discordant  note. 

It  seems  probable  that  problems  that  have  been 
practically  insoluble  in  the  atmosphere  of  church 
life  at  home  may  be  fully  solved  in  the  practical 


22S      FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

working  plans  of  the  foreign  field,  and  one  of  the 
blessings  which  foreign  missions  may  bring  to 
Christendom  will  be  an  inspiring  impulse  in  the 
direction  of  Christian  union,  and  a  deeper  spirit 
of  harmony  throughout  the  Church. 

IV.  We  turn  our  attention  now  to  the  problem 
of  method,  which  has  given  occasion  for  prolonged 
and  earnest  discussion,  and  has  developed  some 
considerable  diversity  of  opinion  among  the  friends 
of  missions.  The  prominent  methods  of  conduct- 
ing mission  work  may  be  included  under  five  di- 
visions— the  evangelistic,  the  educational,  the  Ht- 
erary,  the  medical,  and  the  industrial.  It  should 
be  noted  carefully  here  that  this  classification  of 
methods  is  with  reference  to  the  instrumentality 
rather  than  the  aim  proposed.  The  evangelistic 
method  must  not  be  regarded  as  monopolizing 
the  evangelistic  aim,  which  should  itself  pervade 
all  the  other  methods.  In  fact,  it  is  the  aim  which 
should  be  the  guiding  and  controlling  element 
in  all  missionary  operations,  and  the  absence  of  a 
Christian  purpose  and  an  evangelistic  spirit  in  any 
of  these  methods  would  be  fatal  to  their  useful- 
ness as  a  true  missionary  agency.      On  the  other 


THE  PRESENT  PROBLEMS.  229 

hand,  so  long  as  the  goal  is  Christian  instruction, 
heart  conversion,  and  spiritual  edification,  we  will 
find  in  each  of  these  methods  a  way  of  approach 
to  this  goal,  and  each  method  will  be  useful  in  its 
own  way  and  place.  Evangelistic  preaching  is 
addressed  chiefly  to  adult  minds  assembled  for 
religious  worship.  Educational  teaching  is  ad- 
dressed to  the  young,  and  may  be  made  a  most 
hopeful  and  blessed  instrument  for  bringing  them 
early  into  the  kingdom.  Literary  work  is  ad- 
dressed to  a  more  general  constituency,  and 
through  the  Bible  and  religious  books  and  tracts 
a  far-reaching  and  powerful  influence  may  be 
exerted.  Medical  ministry  reaches  those  in  suf- 
fering and  weakness,  and  through  it  the  Gospel 
of  spiritual  healing  may  be  brought  into  close  and 
vital  touch  with  the  soul.  Industrial  agencies  are 
useful  where  it  is  desirable  to  give  practical  edu- 
cation in  the  arts  of  labor,  united  with  religious 
influences  and  instruction. 

It  will  be  noted  that  the  method  is  nothing  if 
it  is  not  dominated  by  the  spiritual  aim.  Evan- 
gelistic services  may  be  formal  and  perfunctory ; 
educational  agencies  may  be  merely  secular ;  lit- 
erary efforts  may  be  subservient  to  mere  intellect- 


2  30      FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

ual  culture ;  medical  work  may  be  merely  phil- 
anthropic ;  industrial  schools  may  have  no  higher 
mission  than  mere  manual  training.  Under  any 
of  these  conditions  the  distinctively  missionary 
character  of  these  methods  has  been  forfeited. 

The  discussion  of  this  subject  has  been  marked 
by  considerable  misunderstanding  and  misconcep- 
tion. The  exalted  and  exclusive  place  which 
some  have  been  inclined  to  give  to  the  preaching 
of  the  Gospel,  or  the  oral  proclamation  and  ex- 
position of  divine  truth  before  an  audience,  has 
been  based  largely  upon  a  mistaken  conception  of 
the  availability  and  usefulness  of  other  methods 
to  accomplish  precisely  the  same  end  as  that 
which  the  preacher  of  the  Gospel  has  in  view, 
namely,  the  spiritual  guidance  and  edification  of 
the  soul.  Under  the  impression  that  evangelism 
was  neglected  in  the  sphere  of  educational,  liter- 
ary, and  medical  service,  many  zealous  friends  of 
missions  have  advocated  the  exclusive  claim  of 
simple  evangelistic  agencies  to  be  ranked  as  the 
legitimate  missionary  method.  A  wiser  and  more 
discriminating  opinion  is  now  almost  universally 
accepted,  and  all  these  methods  are  recognized 
as  having  a  useful  function  and  a  legitimate  place 


THE  PRESENT  PROBLEMS.  23  I 

in  missions,  with  this  important  and  vital  provis- 
ion, namely,  that  the  purpose  should  be  always 
and  predominantly  a  spiritual  one,  and  in  the  in- 
terest of  practical  Christianity. 

The  supreme  purpose  of  missions  is  to  dissem- 
inate the  Gospel  and  teach  men  the  way  of  life 
and  obedience,  and  in  the  carrying  out  of  this 
purpose  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel  is  a  method 
which  has  been  divinely  ordered  and  divinely 
blessed,  and  it  must  never  be  underestimated  or 
ignored ;  but  preaching  is  manifestly  not  the  only 
method  of  reaching  the  conscience,  instructing  the 
mind,  and  moving  the  heart.  It  is  not  recognized 
as  such  here  in  our  own  land,  where  Christian 
instruction  in  Sabbath-schools  and  day-schools 
and  in  private  classes  is  recognized  and  used, 
and  where  Christian  literature  has  such  a  wide, 
salutary,  and  beneficent  influence,  and  where 
medical  ministry  is  a  recognized  department  of 
Christian  work.  Why,  then,  should  not  these 
methods  be  sanctioned  and  approved  in  the  for- 
eign mission  fields  ?  Education  is  important  there, 
that  the  school  may  be  recognized  and  adopted 
as  a  religious  rather  than  a  secular  institution ; 
that  the  Bible  and  the  whole  system  of  biblical 


232      FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

truth  may  be  brought  into  contact  with  young 
minds;  that  the  seed  may  be  sown  in  the  best 
soil ;  that  the  influence  of  a  heathen  atmosphere 
and  the  temptations  of  heathen  surroundings  may 
be  anticipated  by  preliminary  training;  that  the 
spiritual  nature  may  be  fortified  against  the  as- 
saults of  Satan ;  and  that  enlightened  and  edu- 
cated natives  may  be  trained  for  mission  service. 
It  is  a  mistake  even  to  limit  the  educational  efforts 
of  missions  to  the  children  of  native  converts,  as 
has  sometimes  been  advocated,  since  our  schools 
are  often  most  efficient  and  valuable  agencies  for 
rescuing  heathen  children  from  heathenism.  It 
seems  hardly  necessary  to  say  that  this  plea  for 
education  as  a  missionary  method  involves  no  ex- 
clusive or  paramount  claim  of  usefulness,  and  that 
it  is  a  plea  for  Christian  education  in  distinction 
from  secular,  and  implies  the  employment  of 
Christian  rather  than  heathen  teachers.  It  is,  in 
fact,  simply  an  extension  of  the  whole  idea  of  the 
Sabbath-school  in  our  home  church  to  the  needs 
of  our  foreign  mission  field.  The  fact  that  the 
school  is  conducted  every  day  of  the  week,  and 
that  branches  of  secular  education  are  taught  in 
it,  does  not   necessarily  destroy  its  religious  in- 


THE  PRESENT  PROBLEMS.  233 

fluence  and  power,  or  interfere  with  its  evangel- 
istic purpose. 

The  same  line  of  argument,  did  time  permit, 
might    be    pursued    in    connection   with    literary 
work.      In  this  age  of  the  world,  when  Christian 
missions  enter  a  foreign  field  to  carry  the  Gospel, 
it  is  almost  an  inexcusable  oversight  to  ignore  the 
power  of  the  press  and  the  influence  of  literature. 
One  of  the  first  steps  of  a  true  missionary  cam- 
paign is  the  translation  and   distribution   of   the 
printed  Bible,  and  this  must  be  followed  by  the 
creation  of  a  Christian  literature  in  all  its  depart- 
ments.     Under   the  circumstances  in  which   our 
missions  are  working,  to  neglect  education  and 
literature  is  almost  equivalent  to  acknowledging 
that  Christianity  has  no  message  to  the  human 
mind.      Good  service  also  has  been  done  of  late 
in  several  mission  fields  by  the  use  of  the  magic- 
lantern  as  a  popular  method  of  education.    Sacred 
scenes  upon  the  canvas  can  be  made  the  text  for 
much  Gospel  instruction. 

The  place  of  medical  work,  if  done  with  Chris- 
tian sympathy  and  tact,  and  followed  up  with 
Christian  instruction,  is  vindicated  both  by  the 
example  of  Christ  and  by  all  experience.      In  the 


234     FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

hands  of  lady  physicians  it  is  at  present  practically 
the  only  method  of  reaching  the  women  in  many 
heathen  communities. 

As  regards  industrial  schools,  they  are,  of  course, 
limited  to  a  narrow  range  of  missionary  effort,  but 
in  some  portions  of  Africa,  among  simple  and 
ignorant  people,  they  have  been  found  eminently 
helpful  in  giving  a  direction  to  life,  and  opening 
up  a  sphere  of  usefulness  at  the  same  time  that 
they  afford  an  opportunity  for  religious  instruction. 
They  seem  to  rescue  young  lives  from  inanity 
and  idleness,  and  give  them  a  start  in  a  career  of 
self-respecting  usefulness,  with  the  Gospel  planted 
in  their  hearts. 

If  we  were  called  upon  to  place  the  emphasis 
upon  any  one  of  these  methods,  or  to  select  one 
to  the  exclusion  of  others,  we  could  not  hesitate 
to  regard  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel  as  entitled 
to  the  supremacy ;  but  where  all  these  methods 
are  available  and  useful,  there  is  no  necessity  of 
confining  our  missionary  operations  to  any  one. 
We  should  rather  make  the  best  use  of  them  all 
by  preaching,  teaching,  printing,  and  living  the 
one  Gospel  of  truth  and  light  and  knowledge 
and  service.     We  may  use  all  these  methods  as 


THE  PRESENT  PROBLEMS.  235 

different  ways  of  drawing,  attracting,  winning, 
persuading,  helping,  and  compelling  souls  to  come 
into  the  kingdom  of  our  Lord.  Possibly  different 
fields  may  call  for  different  degrees  of  emphasis 
and  prominence  in  the  case  of  some  one  of  these 
methods  of  influence.  It  has  been  found,  for  ex- 
ample, that  medical  work  has  been  especially  use- 
ful in  China,  and  educational  work  is  just  now  at 
a  premium  among  the  low-caste  children  of  India, 
and  in  the  Turkish  Empire.  Could  Christian 
missions  have  the  opportunity  to  educate  a  gen- 
eration of  Moslem  children,  it  would  be  a  telling 
blow  against  the  giant  system  of  Islam.  Possibly 
the  same  field  at  a  certain  stage  of  missionary 
effort  may  indicate  one  method  as  more  promis- 
ing than  another.  Possibly  the  circumstances 
may  be  such  in  certain  fields  that  some  one  of 
these  methods  may  be  allowed  to  lapse  so  far  as 
the  foreign  missionary  is  concerned,  because  the 
natives  themselves  are  prepared  to  assume  the 
responsibility  in  a  satisfactory  way.  However 
this  may  be,  it  has  been,  and  is  still,  the  almost 
universal  practice  of  Christian  missions  to  avail 
themselves  of  these  various  methods,  and  to  make 
all  subservient  to   the  one   great   aim ;    and  we 


236      FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

cannot  but  believe  that  it  would  have  been  a 
misguided  policy,  involving  a  disastrous  mistake, 
to  have  conducted  our  Protestant  missions  with 
special  reference  only  to  the  needs  of  those  adults 
who  could  be  gathered  together  to  listen  to  the 
preaching  of  the  Gospel,  and  so  ignore  the  wants 
of  the  children,  disregard  the  claims  of  the  suffer- 
ing, and  fail  to  consider  the  intellectual  needs  of 
the  people.  And  while  it  is  true  that  in  some 
sense  all  these  methods  may  fail  unless  they  are 
inspired  with  the  right  aim  and  receive  the  divine 
blessing,  it  is,  on  the  other  hand,  true  that  in  a 
very  vital  and  precious  sense  they  may  all  suc- 
ceed if  they  are  faithful  to  the  supreme  purpose, 
and  conducted  in  a  way  to  secure  the  divine  rec- 
ognition. 

V.  There  are  still  questions  of  great  complexity 
and  difficulty  which  remain  to  be  considered,  and 
they  may  be  included  under  the  general  title  of 
the  problem  of  native  development.  Successful 
missionary  work  results  in  a  Christian  constitu- 
ency in  the  midst  of  surrounding  heathenism,  and 
whether  we  regard  the  convert  as  an  individual 
or  consider  him  in   his   collective   capacity  as  a 


THE  PRESENT  PROBLEMS.  237 

community,  it  will  at  once  be  recognized  that  his 
situation  is  unique  and  almost  startling,  and  must 
be  beset  with  many  difficulties  and  perplexing  em- 
barrassments. Even  his  contact  with  Christian 
truth  is  in  some  respects  novel,  and  his  individual 
relations  to  kindred  and  friends,  to  his  govern- 
ment, to  his  local  community,  to  the  manners, 
customs,  and  traditions  of  his  country,  to  his 
former  co-religionists,  to  the  religion  which  he  has 
given  up  in  embracing  Christianity,  and  to  the 
Christian  Church  and  his  place  and  service  there- 
in, are  all  new  and  untried  to  him,  and  frequently 
involved  in  entanglements  which  are  full  of  casu- 
istry and  practical  embarrassment. 

If  we  look  still  further  into  this  special  phase 
of  missions,  we  will  find  questions  of  great  practi- 
cal importance  in  connection  with  the  cooperation 
of  native  teachers  and  pastors  in  the  conduct  of 
mission  work,  and  further  still  in  connection  with 
the  organization  and  development  of  the  native 
church,  and  the  relation  of  the  native  assistant  or 
associate  to  the  foreign  missionary,  and  of  the 
native  church  to  the  home  society.  We  will  find 
that  a  careful  study  of  this  class  of  problems  will 
reveal  many  serious  questions  of  policy  and  many 


238      FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

delicate  and  embarrassing  difficulties,  which  call 
for  consummate  tact,  wisdom,  patience,  charity, 
firmness,  dignity,  and  the  pervading,  controlling 
spirit  of  Christian  love,  to  deal  with  them  success- 
fully. 

Time  will  permit  only  a  brief  reference  to  these 
problems.  I  can  do  little  more  than  indicate  them, 
and  as  some  of  them  are  still  in  process  of  solu- 
tion, it  would  be  presumptuous  to  attempt  to 
speak  in  any  spirit  of  assurance  concerning  them. 
We  may  class  them  under  the  two  general  heads 
of,  first,  the  individual  native,  and,  second,  the 
organized  church. 

In  connection  with  the  individual  native,  we 
have  the  question  of  cooperation :  How  far,  and 
in  what  capacity  ?  What  is  the  place  and  func- 
tion of  native  agency  in  mission  work  ?  To  what 
extent  is  it  necessary,  and  what  importance  must 
we  attach  to  it?  What  should  be  the  character 
and  limits  of  training  which  native  agents  should 
receive?  What  practical  regulations  should  be 
made  with  reference  to  wages?  What  should  be 
the  proper  proportion  between  foreign  funds  and 
native  contributions  ?  What  is  the  relation  of  the 
native  agent  to  the  missionary,  and  to  the  board 


THE  PRESENT  PROBLEMS.  239 

or  society  at  home  ?  In  fact,  the  whole  economy 
of  the  native  arm  of  missionary  service  is  bristling 
with  questions  which  may  at  any  time  become 
acute  in  their  complications ;  yet  the  speedy  de- 
velopment of  an  efficient  and  self-reliant  native 
agency  is  without  doubt  at  the  present  hour  one 
of  the  most  pressing  and  vital  problems  of  the 
foreign  field. 

In  connection  with  the  organized  church  we 
have  the  question  of  creed,  which  at  first  may  be 
quietly  settled  by  the  acceptance  without  scru- 
tiny of  the  creed  of  the  missionary,  but  which 
subsequently  may  come  up  for  discussion  by  the 
native  church  itself  as  it  reaches  the  stage  of  in- 
dependent thought.  Then  there  is  the  question 
of  organization,  including  the  measure  of  self- 
government  which  may  properly  be  demanded  on 
the  one  hand,  and  wisely  conceded  on  the  other. 
And  in  some  cases  the  matter  of  polity  becomes 
an  open  question,  and  then  the  subject  of  a  native 
pastorate  soon  comes  to  the  front,  and  the  rela- 
tion of  the  native  pastor  to  the  mission,  and  to 
his  own  people,  and  the  proper  provision  for  his 
support,  all  require  attention.  The  matter  of  self- 
support — that  is,  the  assumption  by  the  church 


240      FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

itself  of  its  own  financial  obligations — is  a  subject 
which  has  been  attended  with  much  embarrass- 
ment and  many  perplexities ;  and  now  that  our 
mission  work  is  becoming  more  successful,  the 
larger  question  of  the  organization  of  national 
churches  is  in  some  fields  already  pressing  itself 
upon  the  consideration  of  both  missionaries  and 
native  communities,  and  involves,  of  course,  the 
relation  of  such  a  church  to  the  home  church 
which  has  been  instrumental  in  giving  it  the 
Gospel. 

There  is  still  another  set  of  questions  involved 
in  the  proper  attitude  of  the  native  church  to 
certain  national  customs  and  manners,  and  others 
with  reference  to  the  proper  requirements  for 
church-membership  and  suitable  rules  of  church 
discipline.  Finally,  there  is  the  whole  subject  of 
the  missionary  responsibihty  and  duty  of  the  na- 
tive church  in  its  own  local  field  of  opportunity. 

We  have  not  time  even  to  discuss  in  the  most 
general  way  these  problems.  In  fact,  they  may 
be  more  properly  left  to  the  missionaries  them- 
selves upon  the  fields,  in  their  conferences  and 
ecclesiastical  gatherings.  Their  importance  may 
be  discovered  at  once  if  we  consult  the  records 


THE  PRESENT  PROBLEMS.  24 1 

of  the  great  Missionary  Conferences  recently  held 
at  London  and  Shanghai,  where  elaborate  and 
able  papers  were  presented  upon  almost  all  of 
these  phases  of  missionary  policy.  It  is  consid- 
ered here  at  home  one  of  the  essentials  to  suc- 
cessful preaching  of  the  Gospel  to  make  such  an 
application  of  divine  truth  to  modern  life  and 
the  daily  practice  of  men  that  the  Word  of  God 
shall  be  brought  into  living  contact  with  the  con- 
science, and  shall  touch  every  phase  of  practical 
morality  and  of  social  and  religious  duty.  If  this 
is  a  difficult  thing  to  do  here,  and  taxes  the  intel- 
lectual ability,  the  spiritual  insight,  the  practical 
talent,  and  the  philosophical  acumen  of  a  trained, 
educated,  and  sympathetic  preacher  of  the  Gospel, 
how  much  more  difficult  must  it  be  in  the  atmos- 
phere of  these  foreign  lands,  and  in  that  new  and 
strange  and  alien  environment,  to  apply  wisely, 
tenderly,  and  effectively  the  great  fundamental 
truths  of  the  Gospel,  and  the  vital  principles  of 
Christian  morality,  and  the  essentials  of  ecclesi- 
astical polity,  and  the  governing  regulations  of 
church  life,  and  the  obligations  of  missionary  ser- 
vice, to  the  Christianity  of  missionary  lands,  in 
such  a  spirit    and    method    as    to   secure   native 


242      FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

cooperation,  purity  of  church  life,  high  moral 
standards,  and  a  true  conception  of  the  supreme 
and  exclusive  place  of  Christianity  among  the  re- 
ligions of  the  earth. 

Let  us  ask  divine  wisdom  that  these  great  prob- 
blems  of  His  kingdom,  as  it  advances  among  the 
nations,  may  all  be  finally  solved  in  a  spirit  of 
wisdom  and  love,  to  the  glory  of  His  name,  and 
to  the  honor  and  exaltation  of  His  Church. 


LECTURE  V. 

THE  PRESENT-DAY  CONTROVERSIES  OF 
CHRISTIANITY  WITH  OPPOSING   RELIGIONS. 


243 


"(7^  forth,  theji,  ye  missionaries,  in  your  Mastery's  name;  go 
forth  into  all  the  %vorld,  and,  after  studying  all  its  false  relig- 
ions and  philosophies,  go  forth  and feaj'lessly  proclaim  to  suffer- 
ing humanity  the  plain,  the  unchatigeable,  the  eternal  facts  of 
the  Gospel — nay,  I  might  almost  say  the  stubborn,  the  unyield- 
ing, the  inexorable  facts  of  the  Gospel.  Dare  to  be  downright 
with  all  the  ttncompromising  courage  of  your  own  Bible,  while 
with  it  your  watchwords  are  love,  Joy,  peace,  reconciliation.  Be 
fair,  be  charitable,  be  Christlike,  but  let  there  be  no  mistake. 
Let  it  be  made  absolutely  clear  that  Christianity  cannot^  must 
not,  be  watered  do7un  to  suit  the  palate  of  either  Hindu,  Parsee, 
Confucianist,  Biiddhist,  or  Mohammedan,  and  that  whosoever 
wishes  to  pass  f'om  the  false  religion  to  the  true  can  never  hope 
to  do  so  by  the  rickety  planks  of  compromise,  or  by  the  help  of  fal- 
tering hands  held  out  by  half-hearted  Christians.  He  must  leap 
the  gulf  in  faith,  and  the  living  Christ  zvill  spread  His  everlast- 
ing arms  beneath,  and  land  him  safely  on  the  Eternal  Rock.''^ 

^^ I  have  said  enough  to  put  you  on  your  guard  zvhen  you  hear 
people  speak  too  highly  of  the  sac7'ed  books  of  the  East,  other  than 
our  own  Bible.  Let  us  not  shut  our  eyes  to  what  is  excellent 
and  true  and  of  good  report  in  these  books;  but  let  us  teach  Hin- 
dus, Zoroastrians,  Confucianists,  Buddhists,  and  Mohammedans 
that  there  is  only  one  sacred  Book  that  can  be  their  mainstay, 
their  support,  in  that  awful  hour  when  they  pass  alone  into  the 
unseen  world.  There  is  only  one  Book  to  be  clasped  to  the  heart — 
only  one  Gospel  that  can  give  peace  to  the  fainting  soul  then.  It 
is  the  sacred  Volume  which  contains  that  faithful  saying  worthy 
to  be  accepted  of  all  men,  women,  and  children,  in  the  east  and  in 
the  west,  in  the  north  and  in  the  south,  '  that  Christ  Jesus  cajue 
into  the  world  to  save  sinners.''  " 

Sir  M.  Monier-Williams,  LL.D. 
244 


V. 


THE  PRESENT-DAY  CONTROVERSIES   OF  CHRIS- 
TIANITY WITH  OPPOSING  RELIGIONS. 

Religion  is  a  theme  of  wondrous  fascination 
and  supreme  importance,  and  the  controversies 
of  religion  have  absorbed  the  highest  energies 
and  taxed  the  deepest  capacities  of  the  human 
mind  in  all  ages.  Christianity  as  a  final  and 
authoritative  expression  of  truth  may  be  re- 
garded for  this  very  reason  as  the  mother  of 
controversy.  Her  mission  is  to  reveal  truth  and 
controvert  error.  Her  Founder  and  Supreme 
Teacher  came  to  bring  not  peace,  but  a  sword. 
Christian  missions  are  destined,  I  might  almost 
say  designed,  to  develop  controversy.  They 
come  with  a  clear,  clean-cut,  exclusive,  and  au- 
thoritative system  of  truth  based  upon  and  iden- 
tified with  historic  facts,  which  is  the  direct  and 
irreconcilable  antithesis  of  false  religions.  This 
system  of  truth  is  bound  to  challenge,  to  contro- 

245 


246     FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTUR  Y. 

vert,  and  to  supplant  existing  religious  opinions, 
and  substitute  its  own  teachings  and  its  own 
historic  verities  in  the  place  of  long-cherished 
convictions.  It  has  no  other  course  open  to  it. 
Christ  came  to  save ;  He  came  also  to  enlighten, 
guide,  and  deliver  the  human  mind  from  the 
spell  and  bondage  of  error.  Christian  truth, 
therefore,  with  its  supreme  and  exclusive  claims, 
cannot  enter  where  errors  and  superstitions  hold 
sway  without  at  once  challenging  them,  and  in 
its  turn  receiving  a  challenge,  and  being  called 
upon  to  give  an  account  of  itself. 

In  earlier  stages  of  the  modern  missionary- 
enterprise,  when  Christianity  was  still  in  the 
shadow  and  its  presence  hardly  recognized,  lit- 
tle controversy  was  excited,  or  at  least  it  was 
confined  within  a  narrow  circle.  Now,  however, 
that  missions  have  advanced  so  rapidly  to  a  posi- 
tion of  influence  and  dignity,  the  era  of  contro- 
versy is  upon  us,  and  we  can  already  discern 
the  signs  of  an  impending  struggle,  which  will 
probably  surpass  in  its  intellectual  intensity,  its 
spiritual  pathos,  and  its  imperial  triumphs  any  of 
the  great  controversies  of  history.  It  looks  at 
present  as  if  Christianity,  with  noble  earnestness 


THE  PRESENT  CONTROVERSIES.  247 

and  high  courage,  would  at  one  and  the  same 
time  engage  in  a  life-and-death  grapple  with 
universal  error,  under  the  leadership  of  Christ 
her  King.  With  the  Spirit  and  Providence  of 
God  as  its  allies,  it  seems  to  be  preparing  for 
a  single-handed  and  simultaneous  struggle  with 
every  giant  system  of  religious  sophistry  which 
for  long  centuries  has  held  the  human  mind  in 
darkness  and  bondage.  It  is  face  to  face  to- 
day with  every  great  dominant  religion  of  the 
earth,  and  it  will  soon  be  a  question  of  the  sur- 
vival of  the  fittest  and  the  triumph  of  the  best. 

Religion  is  a  term  which  is  used  to  indicate 
that  spiritual  relation  between  a  Supreme  Being 
or  Power  and  His  intelligent  creatures  which 
results  from  a  mutual  search  for  and  recognition 
of  each  other,  and  which,  when  successful,  se- 
cures communion  of  spirit,  and  leads,  on  the  part 
of  the  creature,  to  reverential  worship  and  cheer- 
ful obedience.  When  unsuccessful,  however,  the 
relation  is  not  marked  by  proper  and  happy 
contact  with  the  true  God  on  the  part  of  the 
creature,  but  develops  into  vain  and  superstitious 
beliefs  and  practices.     The  proper  sphere  of  re- 


248      FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

ligion  is  therefore  that  realm  of  thought  and 
practice  where  God,  or  what  stands  for  God,  and 
man  meet  and  commune,  and  assume,  each  in 
his  place,  the  proper  relations  to  each  other. 
Religion,  then,  may  be  true  or  it  may  be  false. 
It  may  imply  and  include  relations  which  are 
right  in  theory  and  measurably  perfect  in  prac^ 
tice,  or  it  may  utterly  fail  in  both  these  respects. 
In  its  spiritual  aspects,  as  related  to  the  inner 
experience  of  the  heart,  it  is  subjective ;  in  its 
external  aspects,  as  related  to  organization  and 
formal  rites,  it  is  objective.  Religion  has  been 
a  factor  in  the  life  of  mankind  since  the  creation, 
and  the  evidence  is  constantly  accumulating  that 
it  has  been  in  some  form  a  part  of  the  experi- 
ence of  all  men  in  all  ages  and  countries.  Even 
atheists  are  simply  those  who  have  forced  them- 
selves into  a  rejection  of  religion.  The  science 
of  comparative  religion  has  come  into  promi- 
nence of  late,  and  has  as  its  field  of  research 
the  origin,  history,  and  related  as  well  as  differ- 
entiated teachings  of  the  world's  religions. 

The  genesis  and  development  of  religions  has 
been  a  subject  of  much  research  among  mod- 
ern students,  and  has  given  occasion  for  many 


THE  PRESENT  CONTROVERSIES.  249 

rationalistic  speculations  and  various  elaborate 
theories  based  upon  naturalistic  premises,  but 
the  light  which  Scripture  casts  upon  this  somber 
and  fascinating  theme  all  points  to  one  suffi- 
cient explanation  of  these  false  systems.  God 
gave  man  a  religious  nature,  and  also  gave  him 
a  religion  in  Paradise,  both  before  and  after 
his  fall,  which  He  expanded,  emphasized,  and 
confirmed  by  subsequent  revelation.  This  fair, 
sweet  gift  of  God  has  been  neglected,  misused, 
defiled,  and  dragged  down  into  the  depths  of 
ignorance  and  superstition,  whither  fallen  man 
has  sunk,  until  it  has  become  so  transformed 
into  the  likeness  of  man's  spiritual  and  intellect- 
ual degradation  that  it  has  become  a  delusion 
rather  than  a  blessing  to  the  vast  majority  of  the 
race.  The  light  which  was  in  man  has  become 
darkness,  and  "  how  great  is  that  darkness ! " 
The  result  has  been  idolatry  in  all  its  forms, 
which  is  simply  the  substitution  in  the  realm  of 
religion  of  the  creature  for  the  Creator.  Out  of 
the  vanity,  ignorance,  and  despair  of  the  human 
mind  in  its  proud  and  helpless  struggle  after 
some  satisfying  solution  of  the  problems  of  life 
and   destiny,  have   come  those  great   ethnic   re- 


250     FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

ligions  which,  by  virtue  of  the  distorted  and 
mutilated  fragments  of  truth  which  they  con- 
tain, as  well  as  their  concessions  to  weakness 
and  sin,  have  held  sway  for  long  centuries  over 
so  many  milHons  of  our  human  race.  It  is  plain 
that  however  clear  God  may  make  the  origi- 
nal revelation  of  Himself  and  His  will  to  man, 
that  revelation  may  be  willfully  misunderstood, 
or  misinterpreted,  or  overlaid,  or  distorted,  or 
mutilated  by  the  fallen  being  to  whom  it  is 
addressed,  until  it  loses  finally  all  essential  cor- 
respondence with  its  original  form,  and  is  sup- 
planted by  the  speculations,  superstitions,  and 
philosophical  theories  of  the  darkened  reason  of 
man,  until  religion  becomes  in  fact  a  reflection 
of  human  ignorance,  rather  than  an  exponent  of 
divine  wisdom. 

This,  in  the  briefest  possible  words,  seems  to 
be  the  real  historic  relation  of  false  religions  to 
divinely  revealed  truth.  They  are  the  corrup- 
tions and  per\'ersions  of  a  primitive,  monothe- 
istic faith  which  was  directly  taught  by  God  to 
the  early  progenitors  of  the  race.  They  are 
not  even  after  the  pattern  of  things  in  the 
heavens,  much   less   the   heavenly  things   them- 


THE  PRESENT  CONTROVERSIES.  25  I 

selves.  They  are  rather  gross  caricatures  and 
fragmentary  semblances  of  the  true  rehglon, 
which  have  departed  so  far  from  the  original 
model  as  to  be  in  many  essential  things  positive 
contradictions  and  reversals  of  the  truth.  God 
by  the  severe  discipHne  of  the  Old  Testament 
economy,  and  by  His  special  deaHngs  with  a 
chosen  people,  kept  alive  and  propagated  the 
truth  in  the  hearts  of  men,  and  preserved  it 
from  total  and  final  extinction.  This  truth 
grew  brighter  and  brighter,  and  was  revealed 
more  and  more  clearly  in  symbolism,  prophecy, 
and  experience,  until  the  glories  of  that  long- 
concealed  mystery  of  the  Incarnation  burst  at 
length  upon  the  world.  Since  the  Incarnate 
Word  came  among  men  Christianity  has  as- 
sumed its  function  as  the  supreme  Hght  of  the 
world,  the  only  divinely  authenticated  revela- 
tion, the  true  philosophy  of  religion,  the  sacred 
spiritual  force  which  is  to  enlighten,  guide,  re- 
generate, and  transfigure  human  life  and  human 
history.  And  now,  in  these  latter  days,  in 
which  we  are  born  to  a  mission  of  exalted  privi- 
lege and  blessed  service,  Christianity  is  reaching 
out  after  its   place  of  power  among  the  nations 


252     FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

of  the  earth.  With  Christendom  as  its  ma- 
terial base,  Christian  men  and  women  as  its 
chosen  instruments,  the  Spirit  of  God  as  its 
effective  agent,  and  the  reigning  Redeemer  as 
its  King  and  Leader,  it  has  commenced  in 
earnest  its  search  for  these  wandering  nations, 
to  bring  them  back  to  God.  Like  John  the 
Baptist  of  old,  Christianity  is  crying  to-day  in 
the  wilderness  of  prevalent  worldliness,  *'  Pre- 
pare ye  the  way  of  the  Lord!"  Ah,  that  the 
Church  would  give  heed  more  diligently  to  this 
message  which  the  providential  **  fullness "  of 
our  present  time  has  brought  to  our  ears. 

We  have  designated  the  false  religions  of  the 
world  as  lapses  from  the  true.  They  are  poor 
counterfeits  which  rationalism  would  palm  off 
upon  men  in  the  name  of  revelation.  They  are 
the  result  of  an  apostasy  more  or  less  complete. 
They  are  aberrations  of  the  religious  faculty  in 
man.  Insanity  is  unhappily  a  recognized  fact 
among  mental  phenomena,  yet,  as  the  name  im- 
pHes,  insanity  is  simply  the  unbalancing  of  a 
sound  mind ;  so  these  false  religions  are  a  spe- 
cies of  spiritual  insanity.  They  result  from  the 
unbalancing   of   sound    religion.     They  are    the 


THE  PRESENT  CONTROVERSIES.  253 

overturnings  and  convulsions  of  the  soul  of  man 
ill  the  darkness  and  despair  of  its  wanderings 
from  God.  So  it  is  that  we  find  in  many  of 
these  ethnic  religions  that  certain  phases  of  primi- 
tive truth  have  lingered,  and  we  can  trace  there- 
in the  faint  and  haggard  and  pain-worn  feat- 
ures of  the  original  likeness.  We  usually  find 
in  them,  in  some  form  or  other,  the  doctrine  of 
God,  the  claim  of  revelation,  the  idea  of  propiti- 
ation by  sacrifice,  the  formal  ceremonies  of  wor- 
ship, the  debris  of  original  ethical  standards,  the 
function  of  the  priesthood,  the  demand  for  some 
measure  of  righteous  living,  the  hope  of  immor- 
taHty,  and  an  expectation  of  judgment ;  and  yet 
their  relation  to  the  divine  religion  may  be  de- 
scribed by  the  single  word  usurpation.  They 
have  supplanted  the  true  with  infinite  effrontery 
and  glaring  caricature.  It  is  very  much  as  if 
some  vain  and  weak  man  should  attempt  to  as- 
sume the  astronomical  control  of  the  universe, 
or  to  become  the  supreme  regulator  and  disposer 
of  material  forces,  or  the  originator  of  social  and 
economic  laws  by  which,  according  to  his  claim, 
the  whole  moral  system  of  the  world  would  be 
revolutionized    and    righted.     We    have    in    the 


254     FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

realm  of  sociology  something  which  is  analogous 
to  these  false  religions  in  the  spiritual  realm,  in 
the  doctrines  of  nihilism,  socialism,  and  anarchy, 
the  prevalence  of  which  would  destroy  society, 
just  as  the  prevalence  of  spiritual  error  has  lim- 
ited and  almost  destroyed  religion  as  a  saving 
force  in  the  world. 

No  one  can  study  these  human  religions  with- 
out being  impressed,  on  the  one  hand,  with  the 
fact  that  they  are  the  shadows  of  a  great  un- 
known which  must  have  been  stamped  with  a 
divine  likeness,  and,  on  the  other  hand,  that 
they  have  been  conceived  in  deference  to  hu- 
man pride,  vanity,  weakness,  and  fleshly  desire. 
Could  we  imagine  the  unaided  reason,  the  un- 
disciplined affections,  and  the  carnal  appetites  of 
fallen  humanity  to  have  held  a  council  to  delib- 
erate upon  the  subject  of  a  religion  and  formu- 
late its  principles  and  practices,  we  may  find 
what  we  would  naturally  anticipate  to  be  the 
result  of  such  a  movement  in  most  of  the  exist- 
ing religions  of  the  earth,  Christianity  excepted. 

It  follows  from  these  considerations  that  Chris- 
tianity as    a   missionary   religion    enters    a  pre- 


THE  PRESENT  CONTROI^ERSIES.  255 

occupied  realm.  It  addresses  itself,  as  Paul  did 
among  the  Athenians,  to  a  '*  very  religious  "  as 
well  as  a  very  sinful  people.  It  does  this,  more- 
over, without  the  aid  of  material  force,  without 
visible  eclat,  and  without  the  use  of  spectacular 
and  sensational  methods.  It  is  sometimes  long 
years,  perhaps  an  entire  generation,  before  a 
single  convert  is  won.  The  extension  of  its  in- 
fluence, like  the  action  of  leaven,  is  often  silent 
and  obscure.  It  contends  with  the  deepest  and 
strongest  currents  of  human  thought ;  it  clashes 
with  immemorial  customs ;  it  seems  to  the  dis- 
ciples of  other  religions  to  be  a  presumptuous 
intruder  without  sufficient  credentials,  with  little 
visible  or  self-manifested  power  to  attract  and 
subdue  a  mind  thoroughly  under  the  spell  of 
superstition,  with  a  seared  conscience  and  a 
darkened  understanding,  and  no  spiritual  apti- 
tude to  receive  its  teachings  or  appreciate  its 
high  mysteries.  It  is  a  mistake  to  represent 
non- Christian  nations,  except  as  God's  Spirit 
touches  individual  hearts,  as  longing  for  the 
Gospel  and  ready  to  receive  it.  They  are,  as 
a  rule,  misguided  and  thoroughly  deceived  by 
their  false  religions.     The  whole  realm  of  relig- 


256      FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

ious  thought  is  darkened  and  hushed  like  some 
chamber  of  death,  while  thronging  superstitions, 
like  ghostly  watchers,  guard  every  approach  lest 
the  glad  tidings  of  the  Gospel  should  enter. 
The  spiritual  condition  of  the  heathen  world  has 
been  painted  in  dark  colors,  but  we  doubt  if  the 
picture  has  ever  been  overdrawn,  or  its  awful 
shadows  made  deeper  than  the  reality. 

This  subject  of  the  religious  state  of  the 
heathen  world  has  sometimes  been  presented  by 
students  of  comparative  religion  in  what  has 
been  called  an  unprejudiced  or  judicial  spirit, 
which,  however,  has  led  to  conclusions  which 
are  scholastically  shallow,  morally  sentimental, 
and  practically  false.  The  representations  which 
have  been  given  of  ethnic  religions  have  been 
highly  ideahzed,  and  have  been  drawn,  often 
in  a  spirit  of  literary  dilettanteism,  exclusively 
from  the  sacred  literature  which  represents  the 
original  aspirations  and  ideals  of  the  founders 
and  leaders  of  the  various  systems,  who  were 
in  many  cases  men  of  genius  and  intellectual 
power  and  high  ethical  ambitions.  However 
well  these  early  founders  may  have  wrought 
under  the  guidance  of  the  reason,  and  however 


THE  PRESENT  CONTROVERSIES.  257 

much  they  may  have  succeeded  in  borrowing 
the  Hght  that  God  has  given  to  the  world,  they 
have  nevertheless  built  with  wood,  hay,  and 
stubble.  Their  ideals  have  crumbled,  and  their 
followers  have  lived  and  moved  only  amidst  the 
ruins  of  ideal  systems.  These  ruins  were  soon 
infested  with  living  creatures  of  the  degraded 
imagination,  with  vile  forms  of  creeping  lusts, 
with  every  species  of  superstition,  and  with  the 
loathsome  monsters  of  revolting  idolatry,  which 
have  turned  the  very  shrines  of  religion  into  a 
refuge  for  that  nameless  brood  of  creatures 
which  have  defiled  sooner  or  later  every  temple 
which  the  hand  of  man  untaught  of  God  has 
vainly  reared  in  the  name  of  religion. 

The  heathen  world  as  it  really  is  is  a  very 
different  thing  from  the  heathen  world  as  it 
aspired  to  be.  The  struggle  of  the  human  mind 
to  formulate  and  carry  into  practice  a  helpful 
religion  has  been  sadly  and  completely  in  vain. 
Even  if  we  take  these  false  religions  at  their 
best,  if  we  follow  them  back  to  their  purest 
sources,  if  we  sit  at  the  feet  of  their  founders 
and  study  their  philosophic  and  ethical  ideals, 
we  still  find  them  to  be  the  products  of  reason,  or 


258      FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

of  the  religious  faculty  in  man  moving  in  partial 
light  and  feeling  blindly  after  God.  There  is 
usually  also  a  spirit  of  compromise  with  sin. 
They  fail,  and  fail  hopelessly,  in  the  essentials 
of  a  true  religious  system.  What  they  teach  of 
God  is  obscure,  distorted,  and  in  many  respects 
fictitious  and  blasphemous.  If  it  is  theistic  in 
any  sense  it  is  either  dualistic  or  polytheistic 
or  pantheistic,  and  even  where  it  is  monotheistic 
it  gives  no  adequate  conception  of  the  divine 
character.  The  blessed  Deity  is  gone  beyond 
recognition  in  almost  all  these  systems,  and  in 
His  place  is  gross  idolatry  as  in  Hinduism,  sub- 
stantial atheism  as  in  Buddhism,  a  mutilated 
conception  of  the  Godhead  as  in  Mohammedan- 
ism, or  sacerdotal  usurpation  and  ceremonialism 
as  in  lapsed  Christianity.  What  they  teach  of 
the  essence  and  function  of  religion  is  simply 
the  heights  and  depths  of  formalism  divorced 
from  practical  morality.  Their  teachings  of  the 
nature  and  power  of  sin  are  grossly  defective. 
Sin,  as  we  understand  it  in  the  light  of  Script- 
ure, may  reign  in  their  mortal  bodies  while  they 
still  play  the  role  of  religious  devotees  among 
their  fellow-men.     They  have  no  remedy  to  pro- 


THE  PRESENT  CONTROVERSIES.  259 

pose  for  sin  except  a  vain  and  childish,  or  a 
severely  ascetic,  cult  of  self- righteousness  com- 
bined with  shadowy  forms  of  sacrifice ;  and  in 
that  inner  realm  of  the  affections,  as  well  as  in 
the  outer  arena  of  life  and  duty,  there  is  a  nota- 
ble failure  to  realize  those  graces  of  the  charac- 
ter and  those  virtues  of  the  life  which  it  should 
be  the  mission  of  religion  to  secure. 

In  view  of  this  deep  and  painful  and  fatal 
lack  in  the  greatest  and  best  of  human  religions, 
what  a  thrilling  pathos  there  is  in  the  cry  of 
unconscious  need  which  comes  to  the  Church 
of  Christ  to-day  from  the  vast  majority  of  our 
human  race ;  what  a  desperate  urgency  there  is 
in  this  call  for  guidance  and  help,  amidst  the 
ignorance  of  the  mind,  the  deadness  of  the  con- 
science, the  pitiful  inadequacy  of  the  resources, 
and  the  hopeless  degeneracy  of  the  life,  which 
we  find  wherever  man  lives  out  of  touch  with 
Christianity !  And  what  a  sublime  mission 
Christianity  has  to  these  immortal  souls,  with 
every  capability  of  receiving  and  responding  to 
the  Hfe-giving  message  from  heaven!  It  is  its 
peerless  and  sacred  office  to  teach  the  truth 
about   God ;    to    give    a   spiritual    conception  of 


26o     FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

religion ;  to  reveal  the  nature  of  sin ;  to  pro- 
claim the  blessed  tidings  of  the  Incarnation  and 
the  atoning  sacrifice ;  to  show  the  only  way  of 
peace ;  to  enforce  the  code  of  Christian  ethics, 
not  as  a  basis  of  merit,  but  as  a  glad  and  spon- 
taneous expression  of  gratitude  and  a  triumph 
of  spiritual  obedience ;  to  cultivate  the  graces  of 
devout  piety ;  and  to  inspire  a  spirit  of  unselfish 
service.  In  the  discharge  of  this  manifold  and 
magnificent  mission  Christianity  must  always,  in 
the  person  of  its  missionaries  and  in  the  spirit 
of  its  teachings,  reflect  the  divine  patience  and 
forbearance,  and,  while  it  gives  no  uncertain 
sound,  it  must  ever  speak  the  truth  in  love,  and 
glorify  the  gentleness  of  the  Gospel  in  its  mes- 
sage to  erring  hearts.  However  vigorous  and 
irreconcilable  must  be  the  antagonism  between 
Christianity  as  a  system  of  truth,  and  these 
great  religions  that  have  so  blinded,  deceived, 
and  degraded  the  human  mind,  yet  in  the  per- 
son of  its  messengers  it  must  breathe  the  spirit 
of  its  Master,  and  seek  to  win  by  love,  attract 
by  persuasion,  and  subdue  by  conviction,  rather 
than  denounce,  attack,  and  hold  up  to  ridicule 
and  contempt  the  religious  faiths  which  it  seeks 


THE  PRESENT  CONTROVERSIES.  26 1 

to  overthrow.  It  must  rebuke,  but  let  the  re- 
buke be  in  love;  it  must  challenge,  but  let  the 
spirit  of  the  challenge  be  free  from  bitterness 
and  from  all  suspicion  of  spiritual  pride  and 
arrogance. 

The  controversy  of  Christianity  with  these 
great  religions  of  the  East  is  a  much  more  se- 
rious matter  in  its  purely  intellectual  aspects 
than  many  realize.  It  can  be  truly  and  properly 
said  that  were  it  not  for  the  supernatural  and 
spiritual  intervention  of  God  in  the  interests  of 
the  Christian  religion,  the  difficulties  would  be 
disheartening  and  appalling.  The  fact  that 
Christianity  is  winning  its  way,  and  scoring  its 
victories  to  such  a  marvelous  extent,  is  a  mani- 
fest token  of  the  divine  blessing,  and  an  unmis- 
takable sign  of  the  gracious  operations  of  the 
Spirit  in  our  foreign  missionary  fields.  The 
Church  of  Christ  hardly  realizes  the  worth  of 
these  victories,  hardly  appreciates  the  sublime 
vindication  of  Christianity  which  they  indicate, 
and  the  revelation  of  God's  power  and  the 
Spirit's  work  which  we  have  in  them.  It  would 
not  have  been  strange  had  God  exacted  a  far 
larger  measure   of  faith,  a  much  longer  trial  of 


262      FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

patience,  a  much  more  serious  test  to  fortitude, 
and  a  much  higher  standard  of  sacrificial  hero- 
ism, than  He  has  been  pleased  thus  far  to  re- 
quire. The  success  of  our  foreign  missionary 
work  is  wonderful,  and  unsurpassed  by  the  tri- 
umphs of  the  Gospel  even  in  the  first  century 
of  the  Christian  era,  yet  the  Church  of  Christ 
has  but  a  feeble  consciousness  of  these  moment- 
ous signs  of  God's  presence  with  her,  and  His 
work  through  her  in  the  world. 

I  have  said  that  the  intellectual  phases  of  the 
controversy  of  Christianity  with  false  religions  are 
attended  with  serious  difficulties,  and  it  is  in  con- 
tending with  these  hindrances  in  the  realm  of  the 
reason  that  missionaries  have  been  led  to  turn 
their  attention  so  extensively  to  educational  work 
among  the  young,  as  almost  a  necessary  prelimi- 
nary to  any  extended  acceptance  of  Christianity 
among  heathen  nations.  It  is  not  only  the  re- 
newal of  the  heart  which  is  needed  in  foreign 
missionary  fields,  but  also  the  restoration  or  re- 
construction of  the  reason,  that  the  mind  may  be 
prepared  to  receive  the  truths  of  Christianity,  and 
grasp  them  with  a  discriminating  recognition  of 


THE  PRESENT  CONTROVERSIES.  263 

the  points  of  differentiation  from  corresponding 
and  similar  truths  in  the  old  religions. 

The  proclamation  of  Christianity  among  heathen 
nations  is  nothing  less  than  the  proclamation  of 
another  form  of  reHgion.  It  may  be  received 
either  with  contempt,  or  with  some  measure  of 
curiosity,  or  with  a  spirit  of  intellectual  inquiry. 
It  has  in  itself,  aside  from  any  supernatural  in- 
fluence, considered  simply  as  a  system  of  religious 
truth,  less  to  commend  it  to  the  blind  devotees 
of  Eastern  religions  than  we  who  admire  and  love 
it  so  much  would  naturally  suppose.  We  must 
bear  in  mind  that  its  approach  is  from  the  out- 
side, through  feeble  instrumentalities,  with  no 
glamour  of  spectacular  effect  or  blare  of  trump- 
ets, and  that  it  comes  to  those  who  are  already 
thoroughly  possessed  by  some  species  of  religious 
faith,  whose  Hves  have  been  spent  in  an  environ- 
ment of  religious  influences  which  has  absorbed 
and  captivated  the  spiritual  nature,  and  placed  it 
in  an  attitude  of  entire  indifference  to  Christianity 
and  independence  of  its  teachings. 

Now,  let  us  suppose  Christianity  to  address 
itself,  as  it  must  often  do  in  the  case  of  vast  mul- 
titudes in  heathen  lands,  to  the  reason  or  intelli- 


264     FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

gence,  without  the  Hving  and  transforming  ener- 
gies of  the  Holy  Spirit  carrying  light  and  convic- 
tion with  irresistible  power  to  the  mind.  It  is  a 
new  rehgion  endeavoring  to  supplant  other  relig- 
ions firmly  established,  and  holding  their  place  of 
supremacy  by  the  power  of  immemorial  tradition, 
and  by  virtue  of  what  seems  to  their  followers 
historic  authenticity  and  sufficient  authority.  It 
is  plain  that  the  shadow  of  suspicion  and  the 
burden  of  proof  would  rest  upon  Christianity.  It 
must  therefore  demonstrate  its  right  to  supplant, 
and  make  clear  its  claims  to  superiority.  It  must 
show  that  its  origin  is  truly  divine ;  nay,  it  must 
present  some  convincing  evidence  that  there  is  a 
divine  Power  back  of  it.  It  must  verify  its  alleged 
history ;  it  must  vindicate  the  incarnate  glory  of 
its  central  Personality.  It  must  carry  conviction 
with  reference  to  its  great  central  doctrines  of  the 
incarnation,  of  sin,  atonement,  regeneration,  prov- 
idence, resurrection,  and  conscious  immortahty. 
It  must  do  all  this  in  no  spirit  of  amiable  com- 
promise or  sentimental  courtesy.  It  must  sustain 
at  once  its  supreme  and  exclusive  claim,  while  it 
approaches  gently,  kindly,  and  graciously  those 
who  dispute  that  claim  with  passionate  warmth 


THE  PRESENT  CONTROl^ERSIES.  265 

and  implacable  bigotry.  It  is  a  conflict  between 
an  authentic  revealed  religion  and  a  counterfeit 
manufactured  imitation.  Now,  a  manufactured 
religion  is  not  necessarily  in  its  original  conception 
a  deliberate  and  cunning  scheme  of  imposture, 
nor  is  it  a  pure  invention,  nor  is  it  invariably  and 
altogether  destitute  of  the  elements  of  truth.  On 
the  contrary,  its  originator  may  be  a  man  of  gen- 
ius, of  high  moral  aims,  of  lofty  aspirations,  and 
of  undoubted  sincerity,  with  a  measure  of  self- 
sacrifice  and  moral  heroism  in  his  career.  He 
may  stand  as  the  human  exemplar  of  the  moral 
dignity  of  the  reason  in  its  search  after  something 
higher  and  better  than  is  afforded  by  an  unsatisfy- 
ing religious  environment.  The  elements  of  truth 
and  moral  aspiration  which  may  be  incorporated 
in  the  make-up  of  this  manufactured  article  may 
be  many  of  them  borrowed  and  appropriated  from 
a  genuine  source.  We  can  imagine  the  possibility 
of  a  manufactured  religion  which  has  in  combina- 
tion nine  tenths  of  the  subject-matter  of  revela- 
tion, having  omitted  perhaps  only  some  great 
essential  truth,  like  the  divinity  of  our  Lord,  and 
yet  the  manufactured  character  of  the  resultant 
can  be  discovered  from  the  traces  of  human  de- 


266     FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

fects  in  the  combination,  and  rationalistic  blunders 
in  the  proportions  and  relations  of  the  artificial 
product. 

The  ethnic  religions  of  the  world  have  fallen 
far  short,  however,  of  this  high  grade  of  artificial 
production.  To  an  enlightened  and  discriminat- 
ing Christian  conscience  their  highest  ideals,  and 
much  more  their  degenerate  realities,  are  only- 
shallow,  pitiful,  and  bungling  counterfeits  of  the 
unrivaled  and  unapproachable  glories  of  our 
Christian  faith ;  yet  to  those  who  have  known 
only  the  spurious  article  of  human  manufacture, 
the  genuine  has  become  the  mythical,  and  the 
counterfeit  is  to  them  the  genuine.  They  are 
utterly  unconscious  that  they  are  clinging  to  an 
unreality  and  putting  their  trust  in  a  delusion. 

Let  us  suppose  that  the  light  of  Christian  rev- 
elation had  been  utterly  extinguished  throughout 
our  land,  and  we  were  dwelling  in  the  spiritual 
ignorance  and  darkness  of  China  and  India  five 
centuries  before  Christ,  or  in  the  gross  Idolatr}- 
and  practical  heathenism  of  Arabia  in  the  seventh 
centur}'  of  our  era.  It  would  not  be  long  before 
we  should  have  an  American  Confucius,  a  mod- 
ern Gautama,   a  contemporary  Mohammed,  and 


THE  PRESENT  CONTROVERSIES.  267 

human  religious  teachers  and  devotees  by  the 
hundreds,  seeking  to  lead  us  into  the  light  of 
some  religious  faith  upon  which  we  could  stay 
our  souls,  and  by  which  we  could  guide  our  re- 
ligious instincts.  If  we  were  left  for  twenty  cen- 
turies to  the  light  of  nature,  the  guidance  of  mere 
reason,  the  desolating  sway  of  passion,  and  the 
degenerating  effects  of  weakness,  what  do  you 
think  would  be  our  moral  condition  and  our  spir- 
itual need?  The  thought  of  twenty  centuries  is 
startling,  but  there  are  already  more  than  two 
thousand  years  of  dark,  despairing,  and  pathetic 
history  behind  the  thousand  millions  in  the  living 
heathenism  of  to-day,  and  even  now  Christianity 
is  just  awakening  to  a  sense  of  its  duty  to  these 
lost  sheep  of  the  race.  The  mission  that  it  has 
to  heathen  souls  is  sublime  in  its  dignity,  beauti- 
ful in  its  graciousness,  and  imperative  in  its 
necessity.  Christianity  must  expect  to  meet  with 
apparently  insuperable  difficulties,  but  it  must 
take  no  account  of  difficulties.  It  must  expect 
to  advance  slowly,  but  it  must  take  no  account 
of  time.  It  must  expect  to  meet  with  fierce 
opposition,  but  it  must  be  undaunted  and  un- 
ruffled   by    the    violence    of    enemies.     It    must 


268      FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

expect  that  infidelity  and  godlessness  will  dog  its 
footsteps,  and  seek  to  hamper  its  work  by  the 
use  of  every  facility  which  our  modern  age 
places  at  the  disposal  of  the  enemies  of  Chris- 
tianity as  well  as  its  friends.  It  must  expect  that 
Theosophy  and  Esoteric  Buddhism  will  pose  even 
in  Christendom,  and  that  some  one,  sooner  or 
later,  will  seek  to  introduce  the  tenets  of  Islam 
to  the  benighted  minds  of  the  West!  It  must 
expect  that  even  its  methods  and  instrumentali- 
ties will  be  imitated,  as  was  the  case  within  the 
past  year  when  a  Hindu  conference  assembled  at 
Benares  to  organize  a  defensive  campaign  for  the 
saving  of  the  Hindu  religion  from  the  encroach- 
ments of  Christianity.  It  must  expect  to  meet 
the  rivalry  of  reform  movements  within  the  lines 
of  existing  ethnic  religion,  which  are  intended  to 
relieve  the  native  mind  from  the  pressure  of 
Christianity's  own  influence,  and  make  a  new  but 
still  rationalistic  and  anti- Christian  channel  for 
the  impetuous  rush  of  thought  toward  something 
better,  which  its  own  influence  has  stimulated. 

The  Brahmo  Somaj  and  the  Arya  Somaj  in 
India  are  signs  of  the  times  with  which  Chris- 
tianity will   have  to  reckon   more   and  more  as 


THE  PRESENT  CONTROVERSIES  269 

its  influence  deepens ;  but  in  whatever  way  this 
restlessness  within  shall  show  itself,  it  is  for  Chris- 
tianity with  a  wise  and  kindly  dignity  to  recog- 
nize it  as  a  sign  of  its  own  resistless  influence, 
and  to  seek  to  guide  and  help  those  proud  nat- 
ures which  are  paying  their  unwilling  tribute  to 
its  power  into  a  better  and  more  perfect  way. 
Christianity  must  deliver  its  message,  live  its  life, 
minister  its  consolation,  organize  its  institutions, 
and  go  patiently,  calmly,  unflinchingly,  and  un- 
remittingly forward  in  the  discharge  of  its  great 
commission  to  disciple  all  nations.  It  must  nei- 
ther modify  nor  transpose  its  spiritual  formulae, 
nor  must  it  lower  its  moral  standards,  nor  elimi- 
nate from  its  practical  working  organization  any 
essential  element  placed  there  by  God.  If  some 
features  of  revealed  truth  are  more  difficult  than 
others,  it  must  trust  to  the  wisdom  of  God  to 
vindicate  in  the  end  the  value  of  a  fully  rounded 
Gospel  and  a  complete  biblical  system  of  religious 
truth.  If  Christianity  begins  to  compromise,  the 
process  of  dismemberment  will  soon  be  completed. 
It  must  face  alike  the  Jew,  the  apostate  Christian, 
the  Mohammedan,  the  Hindu,  the  Buddhist,  the 
Confucianist,  the  Parsee,  the  Taoist,  the  Shintoist, 


2  70     FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

the  brute  barbarian  with  his  fetich,  and  every  son 
of  superstition,  with  the  full  light  of  the  Bible, 
the  undimmed  glory  of  its  message,  and  the  in- 
exorable righteousness  of  its  moral  requirements. 
Yet,  while  thus  true  to  its  sacred  trust,  and  loyal 
to  all  the  essentials  of  revealed  religion,  it  must 
at  the  same  time  allow  a  large  liberty  in  non- 
essentials, and  draw  no  hard-and-fast  lines  in  the 
realm  of  denominational  differentia.  It  must 
minimize  its  differences,  and  bring  into  the  pres- 
ence of  heathenism  the  spirit  of  unity  and  fra- 
ternity, as  becometh  the  disciples  of  one  Master 
and  Lord. 

Let  us  picture  Christianity  taking  its  stand  in 
the  midst  of  the  reigning  religions  of  the  heathen 
world,  unfolding  its  message,  and  pressing  its 
claims.  How  incomparable  are  the  lessons  it 
teaches,  yet  how  quickly  they  are  challenged, 
and  with  what  energy  and  zeal  are  even  its  choic- 
est instructions  repudiated  and  scorned.  Its  first 
lesson  we  may  well  imagine  to  be  of  God :  His 
Eternal  Being ;  His  attributes ;  His  relation  to 
the  creation  as  the  Great  First  Cause,  the  Pre- 
server and  Governor  of  all  things,  upon  Whom  all 


THE  PRESENT  CONTROyERSIES.  2Jl 

creatures  are  depending,  and  to  Whom  all  intelli- 
gent beings  are  accountable  :  yet  this  magnificent 
and  lofty  message  of  Christianity  will  no  doubt 
be  received  with  stolid  immobility  by  the  adher- 
ents of  Eastern  religions,  as  a  truth  which  is 
neither  new  nor  strange.  It  is  something  which 
the  Oriental  is  already  familiar  with  in  the  terms 
of  his  own  religious  faith,  and,  however  polythe- 
istic his  religion  may  be,  he  still  holds  in  some 
shadowy  form  or  other  the  dim  conception  of  a 
Supreme  Being,  and  is  more  or  less  consciously 
under  the  influence  of  that  deep  undercurrent  of 
monotheism  which  is  characteristic  of  the  early 
history  of  all  ethnic  religions,  and  which  is  so 
manifest  in  the  earlier  and  purer  literature  of  the 
East.  Even  the  multiplicity  of  gods  has  not 
resulted  in  the  entire  obliteration  of  the  mono- 
theistic conception,  since  the  supreme  exaltation 
which  is  given  for  the  time  being  to  one  god  over 
another  is  an  ever- recurring  testimony  to  the 
underlying  power  of  the  monotheistic  idea ;  and 
to  express  this  thought  of  transient  or  individual- 
ized monotheism  the  term  **henotheism"  has  been 
coined.  To  this  marvelous  message  of  Christian- 
ity concerning  the  One  Supreme  God,  the  ethnic 


2  72      FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

religions  will  respond  at  once  with  characteristic 
complacency.  "Agreed,"  say  the  adherents  of 
the  old  Oriental  Christian  Churches,  "  we  already 
believe  that."  "  Look  at  our  Brahm,"  says  the 
Hindu.  ''There  is  no  God  but  God,"  responds 
the  Mohammedan.  "  Our  Gautama  is  a  sufficient 
revelation  to  us  of  God,"  says  the  Buddhist. 
**  Our  Supreme  Spirit  of  heaven  and  earth,"  say 
the  Confucianist  and  the  Taoist,  "  is  near  enough 
to  the  Deity  for  us."  '*  Our  fetich,  with  its  in- 
dwelling spirit,  comes  nearer  to  our  conscious- 
ness," says  the  savage.  *'  Our  idols,"  exclaim  the 
great  majority  in  chorus,  *'  are  to  us  the  pictorial 
and  tangible  representation  of  this  mysterious 
divine  Personality  of  which  Christianity  teaches." 
Christianity  speaks  of  its  great  mystery  of  the 
Trinity,  although  it  is  beyond  its  power  fully  to 
explain  it.  Islam  at  once  repudiates  the  idea  as 
speculative,  inconceivable,  and  indeed  blasphe- 
mous. The  Hindu  points  to  his  Trimurti,  the 
triple  personification  of  Brahm  the  Creator,  Vish- 
nu the  Preserver,  and  Siva  the  Destroyer.  The 
Buddhist  and  the  Confucianist  receive  the  doc- 
trine with  incredulity,  and  see  no  shadow  of 
reason  for  believing  it. 


THE  PRESENT  CONTROl^ERSIES.  273 

Christianity  teaches  of  an  Almighty  Creator. 
All  assent  that  some  system  of  cosmogony  is 
essential.  The  point  of  dispute  would  be  as  to 
the  nature  or  personality  of  the  Creator.  That 
somebody  or  something  has  existed  from  eternity 
is  not  denied.  In  place,  however,  of  the  simple 
Bible  story  of  creation,  we  have  myths  and  fables, 
or  the  gigantic  philosophies  of  Pantheism. 

Christianity  advances  its  claim  to  a  divine 
revelation.  Lapsed  Christianity  replies  with  an 
indifferent  assent,  and  turns  to  the  visible  Church 
as  the  source  of  present  light  and  practical  guid- 
ance. The  Moslem  replies,  "  Look  at  our  Koran, 
which  the  Angel  Gabriel  brought  us,  and  revealed 
to  the  last  and  greatest  of  the  prophets.  At  the 
same  time  we  do  honor  to  the  Old  Testament, 
however  much  we  may  question  the  credibility 
of  the  New."  The  Hindu  points  to  his  Vedas, 
his  Sastras,  and  his  Puranas ;  the  Parsee  to  his 
Zendavesta;  the  Buddhist  to  the  sacred  legend 
of  the  Buddha  and  the  Wisdom  Literature  that 
has  followed  in  its  train.  The  Confucianist  points 
with  pride  to  the  stupendous  library  of  sacred 
literature  which  his  great  hero  collated  and  trans- 
mitted from  unknown  antiquity,  and  which  has 


2  74     FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

grown  with  the  ages.  The  Taoist  boasts  of  the 
ancient  philosophy  of  Lao-tse  as  all  the  revelation 
he  needs. 

Christianity  announces  its  crowning  central 
truth  of  the  Incarnation.  Islam  replies :  "  We 
have  all  the  prophets  down  to  Mohammed,  and 
he  whom  you  call  the  Incarnate  God  is  held  in 
honor  among  us  as  a  divinely  commissioned  mes- 
senger from  heaven.  Why  should  he  be  exalted 
into  an  incarnate  deity?"  The  Hindu  points  to 
his  Avatars,  in  which  he  finds  not  one  but  many 
incarnations  of  the  gods  for  the  benefit  of  human- 
ity. The  Buddhist  is  satisfied  with  the  incarnate 
wisdom  of  the  Buddha,  and  in  his  northern  school 
of  thought  he  has  a  present  incarnation  in  the 
person  of  the  pontifical  Lama,  who  hides  in  the 
unapproachable  mysteries  of  the  sacred  city  of 
Thibet;  while  Confucius  and  Lao-tse,  the  incar- 
nations of  philosophy  and  wisdom,  are  all-satis- 
fying to  their  followers ;  and  to  this  entire  doctrine 
of  the  incarnation  lapsed  Christianity  renders  a 
ready  assent. 

Christianity  brings  its  doctrine  of  mediation 
through  a  divine  Mediator,  and  this  the  Moslem 
denies,  with  scornful  questionings  as  to  either  its 


THE  PRESENT  CONTROVERSIES.  275 

necessity  or  its  propriety.  He  is  saved  because 
he  is  a  Moslem.  His  appeal  is  directly  to  God, 
without  the  intervention  of  any  mediators,  human 
or  divine;  and  the  whole  system  of  Christian 
priesthood  as  it  appears  in  the  corrupt  sacerdo- 
talism of  Oriental  Christianity,  he  rejects  with 
disgust  and  contempt.  The  Hindu,  in  his  turn, 
points  to  the  Brahmans,  who  serve  as  his  media- 
tors. Lapsed  Christianity  has  robbed  our  Lord 
of  His  supreme  function  by  its  degradation  and 
misuse  of  this  sacred  doctrine.  The  Buddhist 
points  to  his  priests  and  idols,  and  the  Confucian- 
ist  to  his  exalted  emperor — the  **  Son  of  Heaven  "  ; 
while  the  truth  about  Hinduism,  Buddhism,  and 
Confucianism  is  that  they  teach  a  salvation  by 
works,  and  pay  only  a  shallow  tribute  to  mediation. 

Christianity  teaches  of  sin  and  guilt,  and  to 
this  the  universal  human  heart  responds,  although 
with  varied  conceptions  of  what  sin  is,  and  what 
guilt  implies. 

Christianity  proclaims  the  necessity  of  sacrifice, 
and  announces  that  a  divine  provision  has  already 
been  made.  With  this  doctrine  lapsed  Chris- 
tianity has  no  difficulty;  although  it  denies  the 
adequacy  of  the  provision  made,  and  demands  a 


2/6      FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

still  further  supplementary  offering  from  its  fol- 
lowers. The  Moslem  claims  that  it  is  needless, 
since  God  is  merciful  and  is  pledged  to  save  a 
Moslem.  The  Hindu  redeems  himself  through 
his  forms  and  ceremonies,  and  so  does  the  Bud- 
dhist ;  while  the  Confucianist  looks  to  the  *'  Son 
of  Heaven"  to  sacrifice  on  his  behalf,  and  dili- 
gently worships  his  ancestors. 

Christianity  teaches  religious  duties  and  the 
requirements  of  obedience.  The  Moslem  bows 
himself  in  prayer,  repeats  his  creed,  gives  his 
alms,  keeps  his  fasts,  and  makes  his  pilgrimages, 
and  in  so  doing  has  filled  out  the  round  of  his 
religious  duties.  The  lapsed  Christian  devotes 
himself  to  the  ceremonial  observances  of  his 
church.  The  Hindu  plunges  deeper  into  his 
idolatry,  and  gives  himself  more  exclusively  to 
the  life  of  a  devotee.  The  Buddhist  pays  his 
visits  to  his  temples,  and  the  Confucianist  repeats 
the  formulae  of  his  ancestral  worship.  Every- 
where a  supreme  and  elaborate  legalism  is  the 
acme  of  a  religious  life. 

Christianity  names  its  prophets,  apostles,  pas- 
tors, and  teachers,  and  there  is  not  an  Eastern 
religion   among   them   all   which   cannot  surpass 


THE  PRESENT  CONTROVERSIES.  277 

Christianity  in  its  multitudinous  array  of  proph- 
ets, priests,  teachers,  dignitaries,  and  exalted  hu- 
man functionaries. 

Christianity  teaches  of  judgment  to  come,  and 
every  false  religion  in  some  form  echoes  the 
teaching. 

Christianity  proclaims  its  heaven,  its  system  of 
rewards  and  punishments,  and  its  hope  of  immor- 
tality. The  Moslem  prefers  his  more  congenial 
Paradise ;  the  Hindu  looks  forward  to  a  refuge 
from  the  weariness  and  spiritual  unrest  of  this 
present  existence  in  his  absorption  at  last  into 
Brahm ;  the  Buddhist  cherishes  his  mysterious 
and  transcendent  prospect  of  Nirvana,  when  he 
shall  enjoy  forever  a  rest  from  the  harrowing 
round  of  transmigrations,  and  shall  pass  into  that 
dreamy  realm  of  blissful  unconsciousness  where 
the  great  woe  of  existence  shall  for  him  cease 
forever. 

If  Christianity  finds  that  in  these  essential  and 
transcendent  doctrines  its  message  has  been 
already  anticipated  by  the  corruptions,  carica- 
tures, and  blasphemous  usurpations  of  these  false 
faiths,  can  we  not  discover  in  all  this  an  explana- 
tion  of  the  intellectual   difficulties  which  hinder 


278      FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

the  acceptance  of  Christian  truth?  Although 
Christianity  presents  these  truths  in  their  purity 
and  sublimity,  it  is  not,  therefore,  sure  of  accept- 
ance. It  must  first  convince  the  darkened  reason 
of  men  that  its  own  presentation  of  them  is  better 
than  that  which  they  have  been  familiar  with 
before,  and  here  it  is  involved  in  a  most  moment- 
ous, delicate,  and  solemn  responsibility ;  one 
which  calls .  for  consummate  wisdom,  immense 
patience,  exhaustless  love,  and,  above  all,  for  the 
divine  power  of  that  Almighty  Spirit  who  alone 
can  give  light  and  life  where  both  are  irretriev- 
ably gone. 

In  a  book  which  has  just  been  issued,  entitled 
"  The  Distinctive  Messages  of  the  Old  Religions," 
the  Rev.  George  Matheson,  D.D.,  its  accom- 
plished author,  has  presented  the  spiritual  contri- 
bution of  ancient  religions  to  the  world's  thought 
in  a  brilliant  but  somewhat  misleading  form.  He 
has  placed  far  too  high  an  estimate  upon  the 
contribution  of  ethnic  religions  to  the  rehgious 
thought  of  the  world,  and  has  idealized  their 
helpfulness  to  the  souls  of  men.  One  feels  in 
reading  the  book  as  if  Christianity  were  regarded 
too  much  as  simply  a  filling  out  of  the  imperfec= 


THE  PRESENT  CONTROVERSIES,  279 

tions  of  ethnic  religions  or  merely  an  improvement 
upon  them.  The  rich,  subjective  contributions 
of  his  own  religious  instinct  have  clothed  the 
grim  and  unsightly  realities  of  the  old  classical 
and  the  modern  ethnic  religions  with  a  beauty 
and  worth  which  is  far  beyond  their  deserts. 
His  book  is  a  poem  on  comparative  religion,  and 
he  has  not  failed  to  avail  himself  of  the  privileges 
of  poetic  license.  Christianity  must  be  truer  to 
itself,  more  conscious  of  its  own  inimitable  in- 
dividuality and  unique  supremacy,  more  loyal  to 
the  high  meaning  of  its  message,  more  painstak- 
ing and  radical  in  its  ministry  to  the  sins,  woes, 
and  needs  of  heathenism  than  the  spirit  of  this 
suggestive  and  stimulating  but  unreal  book  would 
secure.  The  truer  method  and,  in  the  end,  the 
more  successful  plan  will  be  to  insist  upon  its 
divine  claims,  and  teach  its  whole  message  to 
those  who  are  helpless  and  lost,  and  who  need  its 
instruction  and  its  saving  agencies  as  their  orjy 
hope.  The  great  conflict  will  inevitably  be 
around  the  personaHty  of  the  Incarnate  Lord. 
Christianity  may  well  make  this  the  center  of  its 
teaching.  It  can  afford  for  the  present  to  give 
almost  its  entire  strength  to  the  vindication  of  the 


28o      FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

Incarnation,  the  Atonement,  and  the  mediatorial 
system.  Christ  Himself,  once  vindicated  before 
the  eyes  of  the  heathen  world,  will  make  a  breach 
in  the  massive  walls  of  heathenism,  through 
which  the  entire  system  of  Christian  truth  will 
find  an  easy  entrance.  If  we  preach  "'  Christ 
and  Him  crucified,"  we  need  have  no  fear  of  the 
issue. 

Let  us  remember,  moreover,  while  we  are 
speaking  of  the  intellectual  difficulties  which  con- 
front Christianity,  that,  so  far  as  the  merely  human 
outlook  and  environment  are  concerned,  it  can 
make  no  appeal  in  the  presence  of  the  overshadow- 
ing supremacy  of  Eastern  religions  to  any  worldly 
eclat,  nor  to  the  promise  of  earthly  gain,  nor  to 
higher  antiquity,  nor  to  a  larger  number  of  ad- 
herents, nor  to  the  possession  of  great  names  and 
holy  saints,  nor  to  any  exclusive  historical  basis 
for  its  teachings,  nor  to  the  fact  that  Christians 
alone  are  the  true  people  of  God.  At  all  these 
claims  the  disciples  of  Asiatic  religions  would 
smile  with  incredulity.  It  is  only  as  the  dark- 
ened human  mind  is  enlightened  and  taught  of 
God,  rescued  from  the  fearful  delusions  of  super- 


THE  PRESENT  CONTROl^ERSIES.  28 1 

stition,  delivered  from  the  crushing  bondage  of 
error,  lifted  above  the  glamour  and  worldly  en- 
tanglements of  former  religious  associations,  and 
profoundly  convinced  of  the  folly  and  absurdity 
of  the  prevailing  religious  practices,  that  it  can 
reach  that  vantage-ground  of  intellectual  discrim- 
ination and  spiritual  vision  where  it  can  recognize 
and  welcome  the  truth,  and  plant  itself  firmly 
upon  a  basis  of  unfaltering  faith  amidst  the  almost 
resistless  currents  that  would  bear  it  on  with  the 
multitude. 

We  have  read  recently  in  the  newspapers  of 
the  proposal  to  establish  an  Islamic  propaganda 
here  in  America,  with  the  avowed  purpose  of 
converting  Americans  to  Islam.  We  smiled  at 
the  folly  of  this  proposal,  and  pronounced  its 
author  either  a  hopeless  crank  or  a  candidate  for 
cheap  notoriety ;  yet  it  seems  to  me  that  on  the 
merely  natural  or  human  plane  of  approach  there 
was  hardly,  at  least  in  its  initial  efiforts,  any  more 
hopeful  opening  for  Christianity  among  the  de- 
luded, and  yet  conscientious,  devotees  of  Eastern 
religions,  than  for  Islam  here  in  America.  I  am 
not  referring,  of  course,  to  the  inherent  dignity 
and  excellence  and  truth  of  Christianity,  which  in 


282      FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

these  respects  stands  peerless  and  alone  among 
the  religions  of  the  earth,  but  my  reference  is 
rather  to  the  atmosphere  of  its  reception,  and  the 
attitude  of  those  to  whom  it  addresses  itself,  and 
the  merely  human  facilities  which  would  smooth 
the  way  for  its  success. 

We  can  illustrate,  perhaps,  the  difficulties  which 
spring  up  in  connection  with  the  introduction  of 
Christianity  in  heathen  lands,  by  incidents  which 
have  occurred  of  late  in  connection  with  the  re- 
cent cholera  epidemic  in  northwestern  Asia.  In 
connection  with  the  dangers  of  the  contagion 
strenuous  efforts  were  made  on  the  part  of  the 
various  governments  to  enforce  scientific  sanitary 
arrangements,  and  to  provide  the  advantages  of 
intelligent  medical  science  for  the  suffering  popu- 
lace. It  was  apparent  to  every  reader  of  the  in- 
cidents connected  with  that  effort  that  even  gov- 
ernment authority,  with  educated  medical  science 
at  its  service,  working  in  the  interest  of  the  peo- 
ple and  seeking  their  highest  welfare  in  a  time  of 
manifest  peril,  could  not  overcome  the  prejudices, 
superstitions,  and  ignorant  infatuation  of  the 
masses.  The  very  effort  to  save  them  from  their 
misery  and  danger,  although  backed  by  scientific 


THE  PRESENT  CONTROl^ERSIES.  283 

credentials  indorsed  by  the  civilized  world,  only- 
excited  the  most  abject  terror,  the  most  unrea- 
sonable panic,  and  the  most  violent  opposition. 
Ignorant  and  superstitious  communities  like  these 
are  even  more  hopelessly  under  the  sway  of 
passion  and  prejudice  in  all  that  relates  to  relig- 
ious convictions  and  customs.  Christianity,  in  its 
effort  to  enter,  has  the  same  hostile  and  fanatical 
spirit  to  contend  with  in  even  an  intensified  form, 
and  although  it  comes  from  God,  and  is  full  of 
the  loveliness  and  power  of  the  truth,  and  brings 
the  healing  ministry  of  the  Great  Physician  for 
the  woes  and  sufferings  of  sin,  and  has  to  contend 
only  with  the  most  hideous  and  despicable  spirit- 
ual quackery,  yet  such  is  the  blindness  and  folly 
and  wild  unreasoning  delusion  of  the  devotees  of 
false  religions,  that  the  very  presence  of  the  Great 
Physician,  with  His  power  to  minister  to  the 
healing  of  the  nations,  is  an  occasion  for  the  dis- 
play of  violent  and  fanatical  opposition. 

I  have  dwelt  thus  at  length  upon  the  darker 
and   more   discouraging    aspects   of   these    great 
controversies  of  Christianity  with  false  religions 
that  I  might  bring   you   somewhat   into  sympa- 
thetic touch  with  that  great  burden  of  disheart- 


284     FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

ening  experience  which  every  missionary  has  to 
carry,  with  more  or  less  consciousness  of  its 
weight,  as  he  finds  himself  face  to  face  with  his 
tremendous  task ;  and  yet  there  is  no  good  reason 
for  us  to  lose  heart.  We  should  rather  take  cour- 
age, and  glorify  God,  and  behold  in  the  progress 
of  the  missionary  enterprise,  and  in  the  glorious 
record  of  the  success  of  this  first  century  of  mod- 
ern missions,  the  tokens  of  God's  favor,  and  the 
promise  of  coming  experiences  which  will  both 
thrill  and  awe  the  world.  Something  sweeter  and 
grander  than  we  have  ever  dreamed  of  is  com- 
ing in  the  approaching  triumphs  of  Christianity. 
Another  "  fullness  of  time  "  is  hastening  on.  The 
Incarnation  lingered  long,  but  it  finally  came. 
The  glories  of  Christianity  have  been  only  as  yet 
faintly  revealed  during  these  long  and  troubled 
centuries  of  conflict,  corruption,  manifold  imper- 
fections, and  spiritual  feebleness.  There  is  much 
to  be  said  in  the  interest  of  a  pronounced  and 
unfaltering  optimism,  even  in  the  face  of  the  most 
formidable  present-day  controversies  that  con- 
front Christian  truth  in  our  mission  fields.  Chris- 
tianity has,  after  all,  a  vantage-ground  which  will 
in  the  end  secure  to  it  a  respectful  and  reverent 


THE  PRESENT  CONTROVERSIES.  285 

hearing,  and  give  a  resistless  power  to  Its  message. 
It  is  the  voice  of  God,  and  must  be  heard.  It  is 
truth,  and  must  prevail.  It  is  light,  and  before 
it  the  darkness  must  vanish.  Its  message  is 
divinely  adapted  to  universal  human  need ;  it 
brings  life,  hope,  solace,  healing,  and  everlasting 
reconciliation.  It  is  God  Himself  taking  pos- 
session of  the  human  heart,  as  Regenerator, 
Teacher,  Deliverer,  Comforter,  and  Almighty 
Friend. 

Let  us  look  at  the  message  it  brings  to  these 
deceived  and  bewildered  and  enthralled  souls. 
The  darkness  of  error  is  so  deep  and  impenetrable 
that  only  flashes  of  its  light  have  as.  yet  pierced 
the  gloom,  but  the  time  is  coming  when  it  will 
banish  the  shadows  with  a  brightness  as  pervad- 
ing and  resistless  as  the  sunlight. 

This  wondrous  message  of  Christianity  is  first  of 
all  a  new  and  glorious  revelation  of  the  being  and 
character  of  God.  It  teaches  His  personality.  His 
gracious  as  well  as  almighty  attributes.  His  uni- 
versal Fatherhood,  His  overruling  Providence,  His 
fatherly  chastisement  and  disciplinary  training. 
It  reveals  the  Deity  In  the  personality  of  Christ, 


286     FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

whose  perfect  character  stands  alone  in  human 
history,  unrivaled  in  its  beauty  and  unapproach- 
able in  its  excellence.      It  teaches  that  in  Christ 

• 

God  has  come  into  visible  relations  and  into  per- 
sonal contact  with  humanity,  as  a  Mediator  and 
Friend.  It  brings  also  its  message  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  and  His  marvelous  activities  In  the  spiritual 
life  of  man,  as  the  Regenerator,  Inspirer,  Guide, 
and  Sanctifier.  What  a  conception  of  God  Is  this 
in  contrast  with  the  teachings  of  any  human  re- 
ligion !  What  a  startling  transformation !  What 
a  majestic  transfiguration  of  the  whole  conception 
of  the  Deity  as  found  in  the  blank  mysteries,  the 
shadowy  speculations,  and  the  metaphysical  mon- 
strosities which  have  been  substituted  for  God  in 
Eastern  religions! 

Another  important  feature  of  this  message 
which  Christianity  carries  into  the  darkness  of 
the  Eastern  world  is  the  clear,  bright,  tender,  and 
helpful  teachings  of  Scripture.  The  Bible  is  the 
record  of  God's  dealings  with  the  race.  It  Is  in 
touch  with  all  history  and  all  life.  It  is  luminous 
with  instruction,  bright  with  promise,  warm  with 
the  glow  of  human  feeling,  uplifting  In  its  moral 
Inspiration,    cheering    In    its    solace,    wise    in   its 


THE  PRESENT  CONTROVERSIES.  287 

counsels,  and  unfailing  in  its  guidance.  It  illu- 
mines the  path  of  duty,  and  sheds  a  brightness 
even  into  the  darkness  of  the  grave.  What  a 
message  is  this  for  those  who  have  sought  for 
spiritual  light  in  the  sacred  books  of  their  heathen 
religions !  It  is  as  sure  to  supplant  the  cumbrous, 
obscure,  foolish,  and  unhallowed  travesties  of 
revelation  which  characterize  the  sacred  literature 
of  the  Orient,  as  the  truth  of  God  is  sure  to  pre- 
vail over  error. 

In  another  respect  the  message  of  Christianity- 
is  a  new  and  blessed  one  to  the  adherents  of  these 
colossal  systems  of  meritorious  legalism,  in  which 
every  one  must  work  out  his  own  salvation  by  his 
own  efforts.  It  brings  the  glad  tidings  of  an  all- 
sufficient  and  universally  available  remedy  for  sin 
and  its  penalty.  It  tells  of  a  perfect  sacrifice 
already  offered  and  accepted,  of  a  finished  atone- 
ment forever  complete  and  instantly  available. 
It  presents  a  Saviour  who  saves,  not  a  mere  ex- 
emplar who  has  left  no  word  of  hope  and  no 
assurance  of  help  to  his  followers.  What  a  mes- 
sage is  this  to  the  weary,  struggling,  and  despair- 
ing soul  which  is  striving  by  vain,  fantastic,  and 
cruel  methods  to  propitiate   a  supreme  power! 


288     FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

It  bids  him  give  up  the  struggle,  and  provides 
for  him  all  the  merit  he  needs.  It  tells  him  of 
One  who  has  borne  his  burden,  and  paid  that  price 
which  he  seeks  to  offer,  and  secured  that  peace 
for  which  he  is  vainly  searching.  This  message 
of  Christianity,  when  once  received  and  under- 
stood, is  indeed  "  glad  tidings  of  great  joy  "  to 
Eastern  hearts,  and  when  it  becomes  more  fully 
known  it  is  sure  to  banish  self-righteousness  and 
overthrow  the  childish  and  disgusting  ceremonial- 
ism of  Eastern  religions. 

This  message  of  Christianity  is  a  grand  one  to 
the  East  in  another  aspect.  It  gives  such  a  new 
and  splendid  meaning  to  life.  It  so  hallows  it, 
and  dignifies  it,  and  lifts  it  up,  and  makes  it  in 
such  an  inspiring  sense  a  nobler  thing  to  live. 
The  ethics  of  Christianity  fairly  transfigure  the 
whole  of  life  when  compared  with  the  outlook  from 
the  standpoint  of  Oriental  religions.  The  supreme 
aspiration  of  millions  in  the  East  is  to  escape 
from  existence,  to  be  lost  in  nothingness,  to  find 
a  refuge  in  extinction  from  the  dreary  and  end- 
less transmigrations  of  being.  The  whole  outlook 
at  its  very  best  is  one  of  sad  and  dreary  pessimism. 
To  such  as  these  Christianity  comes  with  its  mes- 


THE  PRESENT  CONTROVERSIES.  289 

sage  of  a  new  life  and  a  regenerate  nature.  It 
teaches  of  an  indwelling  Spirit  who  enters  into 
communion  with  the  soul  now  in  this  present  life, 
with  the  avowed  purpose  of  inspiring  and  invig- 
orating the  individual  character  without  destroy- 
ing the  personality.  That  personality  it  proposes 
to  transform  into  the  likeness  of  God,  and  assures 
to  it  a  life  of  conscious  fellowship  with  Him. 
What  a  magnificent  destiny  in  contrast  with  the 
dismal  prospect  of  absorption  into  nothingness! 
It  is  simply  the  transfiguration  of  the  individuality 
as  contrasted  with  its  extinction,  and  it  is  God 
Himself  who  is  the  agent  in  accomplishing  and 
perfecting  this  marvelous  change.  The  whole 
ethical  outlook  of  life  is  glorified,  the  fetters  of 
legalism  are  loosed,  and  the  soul  moves  in  the  free 
air  of  grace,  and  has  the  exhilarating  conscious- 
ness of  spontaneous  obedience,  with  a  holy  char- 
acter as  its  goal.  The  whole  ethical  atmosphere 
becomes  charged  with  the  spiritual  ozone  of  op- 
timism. What  a  message  is  this  to  souls  who 
have  hitherto  looked  upon  life  as  merely  a  weary 
struggle,  which  could  only  end  in  nothingness! 

Still  another  feature  of  Christianity's  message 
is  full  of  marvelous  inspiration  and  hope  to  the 


290     FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

Orient  It  is  the  remedy  it  brings  for  the  social 
wrongs  of  the  Eastern  world.  In  the  train  of 
Eastern  religions  have  followed  the  gigantic  social 
miseries  of  the  Orient — the  practical  annihilation 
of  the  home,  the  disintegration  of  the  family,  the 
degradation  of  woman,  the  sufferings  of  child-life, 
the  extinction  of  the  larger  spirit  of  brotherhood, 
the  system  of  caste,  the  reigning  superstitions, 
such  as  the  Chinese  slavery  to  Fungshui,  and  the 
colossal  cruelties  of  heathenism,  happily  now  to 
some  extent  abolished.  Christianity's  mission  is 
to  regenerate  the  social  life  of  the  East,  and  to 
introduce  the  spirit  of  unselfish  love,  kindly 
service,  and  genial  brotherhood  into  the  social 
system.  It  seeks  to  establish  the  organized 
Christian  Church  as  the  center  of  social  religious 
worship,  the  rallying-point  of  Christian  fellowship, 
and  the  starting-point  of  missionary  service,  and 
to  teach  the  duties  that  should  govern  all  the  re- 
lations of  the  family  and  of  society.  Had  Chris- 
tianity no  other  mission  than  simply  to  deliver 
Eastern  nations  from  their  social  wrongs  and 
rescue  hurnanity  from  the  cruelties  and  miseries 
that  afflict  society,  it  would  still  be  a  high  and 
sacred  duty  to  establish  our  missions. 


THE  PRESENT  CONTROVERSIES.  29 1 

It  is  a  hopeful  feature  of  the  outlook  also  that 
Christianity  is  identified  in  the  eyes  of  the  East- 
ern world  with  every  uplifting  and  ameliorating 
agency  which  has  come  to  them  from  the  realms 
of  Western  civilization.  Education,  in  the  true 
and  helpful  sense  of  the  word,  has  been  the  gift 
of  Christianity,  and  so  has  philanthropy ;  and  to 
a  certain  extent  this  is  true  of  more  secular  civili- 
zation, although  Christianity  has,  alas!  in  this 
respect  been  sadly  handicapped  by  phases  of  so- 
called  civilization  which  have  been  a  discredit 
and  a  blemish  to  the  fair  fame  of  Christian  purity 
and  honor. 

There  is  much  also  to  inspire  hope  in  the  fact 
that  Christianity  has  entered  the  East  after  the 
prevailing  religions  have  had  a  long  and  undis- 
turbed opportunity  to  work  out  their  natural  re- 
sults and  demonstrate  what  they  could  accom- 
plish for  mankind,  and  have  only  succeeded  in 
making  their  own  failure  everywhere  more  con- 
spicuous. They  have  been  tried  and  found 
wanting,  and  the  best  that  they  could  do  for 
humanity  is  in  frightful  contrast  with  the  fruits  of 
Christianity,  wherever  it  has  been  accepted  and 
practiced.     As  the  old  classical  world  was  ripe 


292     FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

for  the  coming  of  Christ  by  reason  of  the  moral 
collapse  and  hopelessness  of  paganism,  so  the 
Oriental  world  of  to-day  is  ripe  for  the  mission 
of  Christianity,  in  view  of  the  manifest  and  colos- 
sal failure  of  every  human  system  of  religion  to 
satisfy  the  wants  of  humanity  and  rescue  society 
from  its  hopelessness,  its  degradation,  and  its 
manifold  miseries. 

There  is  another  bright  and  glowing  element 
of  hopefulness  in  the  present  relations  of  Chris- 
tianity to  the  false  religions  of  the  East.  It  is 
the  fact  that  in  the  case  of  multitudes  of  native 
converts  its  power  to  produce  its  spiritual  fruit 
and  accomplish  its  transforming  work  in  the  char- 
acter, has  been  abundantly  demonstrated.  Chris- 
tianity is  already  bringing  forward  its  own  living 
witnesses  among  heathen  people.  It  is  becoming 
better  known  by  its  fruit  in  many  lands  and 
among  many  peoples.  It  is  yielding  more  and 
more  its  own  evidence  and  demonstrating  its  own 
divine  excellence  in  the  hearts  and  lives  of  the 
constantly  increasing  number  who  have  accepted 
it,  and  who  are  ordering  their  lives  in  accordance 
with  its  instruction.  It  is  a  touching  and  sug- 
gestive  fact  that   some   of  the  most  marvelous 


THE  PRESENT  CONTROVERSIES.  293 

transformations  and  the  most  brilliant  triumphs 
of  missionary  history  have  been  in  connection 
with  the  introduction  of  the  Gospel  among  the 
lowest  and  most  degraded  populations.  Some  of 
those  Isles  of  the  Pacific  are  Hke  jewels  in  Chris- 
tianity's crown,  and  among  the  wretched  Pariahs 
of  India,  the  submerged  low-caste,  lower  even 
than  the  ordinary  depths  of  Indian  heathenism, 
there  are  signs  which  point  to  a  large  and  mag- 
nificent fruitage  of  Christian  effort. 

Amidst  the  turmoil  of  discussion  and  the  clash 
of  contention  over  the  philosophical  mysteries  of 
Christian  truth,  let  us  never  forget  the  inherent 
beauty,  the  incomparable  sublimity,  and  the  un- 
approachable worth  of  the  simple  Gospel.  Let  us 
never  for  an  instant  be  betrayed  into  unconscious- 
ness of  the  duty  of  disseminating  it.  Let  us  be- 
lieve in  it,  and  in  it  only,  as  the  hope  of  the  world. 
Let  us  cherish  renewed  confidence  in  its  power, 
and  give  ourselves  with  fresh  enthusiasm  and 
devout  zeal  to  the  great  and  hopeful  task  of  dis- 
cipling  all  nations  in  the  name  of  our  Master. 


LECTURE  VI. 
THE  PRESENT-DAY  SUMMARY  OF  SUCCESS. 


295 


"What  hinders  the  hmfiediate  effort  to  plant  the  Gospel  in 
every  nation  and  island  and  home  in  all  the  earth  within  the 
next  decade  ?  N^othing  but  the  faltering  zeal  and  purpose  of  the 
mass  of  Christian  believers  now  07i  the  earth.  That  precisely  is 
the  critical  question.  Are  we,  the  Christians  of  to-day,  awake  to 
these  facts,  and  responsive  to  the  claims  of  this  glorious  work  ?  Do 
we  understand  that  this  vast  responsibility  rests  tipon  us ;  that  it 
is  possible  now,  as  never  before  in  the  world^s  history,  to  preach 
the  Gospel  to  all  the  nations?  And  do  %ve  mean,  God  helping, 
that  this  %vork  shall  be  done  ere  we  die?  This  is  the  deep  signifi- 
cance of  the  hour  to  this  generation. " — Rev.  J  udson  Smith,  D.  D. 

"  The  connection  betiveen  prayer  and  missions  has  been  traced 
tluis  over  the  zahole  field  of  missionaiy  conditions,  simply  to  show 
that  every  element  in  the  tnissionary  problem  of  to-day  depends  for 
its  solution  chiefly  upon  pray e)'.  The  assertion  has  been  frequently 
made  in  past  years,  that  %oith  20,000  men,  properly  qualified  and 
distributed,  the  ivorld  could  be  evangelized  in  thirty  years.  And 
actually  there  is  need  of  an  immediate,  undajinted  effort  to  secure 
20,000  men.  N^either,  perhaps,  can  the  world  be  evangelized 
without  them,  nor  can  they  be  secured  without  effort.  But  it  is 
hopeless  to  endeavor  to  obtain  them,  and  they  ivill  be  worthless  if 
obtained,  unless  the  %vhole  effort  be  inspired  and  per?neated  with 
prayer.  ^Thrust  Thoji fvth  Thy  laborers  into  the  harvest.''  .  .  . 
The  evangelization  of  the  world  in  this  generation  depends,  first  of 
all,  upon  a  revival  of  prayer.  Deeper  than  the  need  for  men; 
aye,  deep  do7vn  at  the  bottom  of  our  spiritless  life  is  the  need  for  the 
forgotten  secret  of  prevailing,  world-wide  prayer.''^ 

Robert  E.  Speer. 


296 


VI. 

THE  PRESENT-DAY  SUMMARY  OF  SUCCESS. 

We  have  considered  the  present  status  of  the 
foreign  missionary  enterprise  from  various  points 
of  view,  and  with  a  desire  to  form  a  comprehen- 
sive estimate  of  its  significance  and  importance, 
and  of  the  difficulties  which  it  encounters.  We 
have  considered  its  message  to  the  churches,  its 
demand  for  recognition  and  support,  its  conflicts, 
its  problems,  and  its  controversies,  and  we  pur- 
pose now  to  inquire  as  to  the  measure  of  success 
which  it  has  achieved.  We  use  the  word  success 
advisedly,  yet  it  is  desirable  to  explain  in  this 
connection  what  is  meant  by  success.  In  all  great 
moral  movements — in  fact,  wherever  spiritual 
forces  are  in  the  field — success  is  not  usually  a 
matter  of  mathematical  demonstration.  It  cannot 
be   expressed   in   exact   terms,  or   collected  into 

statistical  tables,  or  brought  to  the  notice  as  a 

297 


298      FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

visible  product.  There  is  an  element  of  intangi- 
bility about  it  which  places  it  beyond  the  reach 
of  material  tests.  It  hides  in  the  realm  of  the 
spiritual,  and  cannot  be  fully  reached  except  by 
the  aid  of  the  spiritual  faculties.  We  can  only 
grasp  it  by  a  process  of  faith.  It  can  be  felt 
where  it  cannot  be  expressed ;  it  can  be  recognized 
where  it  cannot  be  demonstrated ;  it  can  be  a 
matter  of  assurance  where  it  cannot  be  clearly 
proven. 

The  estimate  of  success  in  missions  must  be 
therefore  a  variable  quantity.  It  may  be  over- 
estimated, or,  on  the  other  hand,  it  may  be 
wholly  underestimated.  It  should  be  formed  by 
a  sober  judgment  in  a  conservative  spirit,  and  yet 
with  full  appreciation  of  all  the  elements  and 
actors  involved,  and  with  a  reasonable  and  justi- 
fiable faith  in  the  underlying  spiritual  forces  which 
are  necessarily  implied  in  the  idea  of  Christian 
missions.  The  judgment  which  will  be  formed 
as  to  the  measure  of  success  attained  will  there- 
fore depend  largely  upon  the  point  of  view  from 
which  we  regard  the  enterprise,  upon  our  faith 
in  its  resources,  and  our  capacity  to  discover  and 
appreciate  the  signs  of  progress  which  it  gives. 


THE  PRESENT  SUCCESS.  299 

A  glance  over  the  Old  Testament  history  will 
convince  us  of  the  difficulty  of  gauging  the  prog- 
ress of  a  great  spiritual  purpose  as  it  is  slowly 
evolved  through  a  long  period  of  development.    It 
is  still  a  matter  of  profound  investigation,  requir- 
ing a  deep  and  sympathetic  spiritual  insight  into 
the  undercurrents  of  religious  history,  to  trace  out 
the   progress   of   the   Messianic  idea  in  the  Old 
Testament  dispensation.     Even  in  such  a  material 
business  as  war,  involving  to  such  an  extent  forces 
which  can  be  gauged  and  estimated  by  physical 
tests,  it  is  difficult  to  form  an  accurate  estimate 
of  the  progress  of  a  contest,  or  to  pronounce  a 
verdict  as  to  the  success  attained  at  any  single 
point  of  progress.     There  are  hidden  forces  in- 
volved, and  there  are  undiscoverable  contingen- 
cies in  reserve.     There  are  the  elements  of  en- 
thusiasm,  patriotism,    moral    heroism,    fortitude, 
endurance,  the  assurance  which  comes  from  the 
consciousness  of  right  and  justice,  and  the  inspi- 
ration which  is  quickened  by  the  love  of  liberty 
and  unfaltering  devotion  to  duty.      Considerations 
like  these  will  turn  the  scale  of  judgment  in  favor 
of  success  when  all  else  looks  dark  and  threat- 
ening. 


300     FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

In  our  recent  presidential  election  we  had  an 
illustration  of  the  impossibility  of  judging  of  suc- 
cess where  even  political  issues  are  involved, 
except  as  we  are  able  to  search  that  hidden  realm 
in  which  the  intangible  forces  of  influence  move. 
The  estimate  of  success  for  weeks  and  even 
months  before  the  election  varied  in  accordance 
with  the  point  of  view  of  the  observer,  and  his 
faith  in  the  principles  which  he  advocated.  Even 
a  single  day  before  the  election  the  result  was 
entirely  beyond  the  ken  of  human  intelligence, 
because  of  that  unknown  element  of  moral  con- 
viction and  political  impulse  which  was  secretly 
controlling  the  issues  of  the  campaign. 

A  true  estimate  of  missionary  success  must 
therefore  take  cognizance  of  many  things  besides 
mere  visible  results.  It  must  take  a  wider  sur- 
vey, and  have  a  deeper  insight  than  can  be  ob- 
tained from  a  mere  study  of  statistical  tables. 
It  must  consider  the  substantial  basis  which  there 
is  for  faith  in  missions,  in  view  of  the  divine  pur- 
pose to  redeem  the  world.  It  must  take  into 
account  the  cooperation  of  God  in  the  enterprise, 
and  must  calmly  weigh  the  power  of  those  resist- 
less spiritual  forces  which  have  been  instituted  by 


THE  PRESENT  SUCCESS.  30 1 

God  for  the  very  purpose  of  pulling  down  strong- 
holds. It  must  not  forget  our  Saviour's  parable 
of  the  leaven ;  it  must  measure  the  reserve  force 
which  there  is  in  the  encouragement  and  prac- 
tical support  of  Christendom,  the  growth  of  the 
missionary  spirit  in  the  churches,  and  the  increas- 
ing sense  of  obligation  which  is  beginning  to 
have  such  a  manifest  grip  upon  the  Christian 
conscience.  It  must  mark  the  rapid  growth  of 
the  missionary  plant  in  foreign  lands,  and  the 
growing  power  of  native  converts  themselves  to 
push  on  the  work.  It  must  take  into  considera- 
tion the  astonishing  progress  which  the  mission- 
ary enterprise  has  already  made,  although  con- 
ducted with  an  utterly  inadequate  force,  with 
only  a  moderate  measure  of  Christian  public  sen- 
timent in  its  favor  even  at  home,  with  formid- 
able and  multiplying  difficulties  to  contend  with 
abroad,  where  Christianity  is  in  conflict  with  the 
misguided  and  hardened  conscience,  national 
pride,  antagonistic  public  sentiment,  and  fanatical 
rehgious  opposition.  It  must  not  fail  to  note 
that  the  missionary  himself  has  been  much  of  the 
time  in  the  attitude  of  a  despised  foreigner,  with 
civilization  itself  frequently  placing  him  at  a  still 


302      FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

greater  disadvantage  by  its  discreditable  failure 
to  cooperate  in  any  sense  with  him  and  his  work. 
It  must  bear  in  mind  that  the  element  of  time  is 
to  be  considered,  not  from  a  human  standpoint, 
but  rather  with  reference  to  the  divine  outlook 
upon  history,  and  that  human  haste  is  not  a  char- 
acteristic of  the  divine  method.  It  must  take 
due  note  of  the  fact  that  God  does  not  work  with 
any  view  to  spectacular  effect,  and  that  His  king- 
dom Cometh  without  observation,  and  that  it  is 
in  fact  His  glory  to  conceal  a  thing.  It  must 
remember  that  God  makes  use  of  human  instru- 
mentalities, and  that  there  is  a  certain  relation, 
which,  though  mysterious,  is  nevertheless  real, 
between  the  fidelity,  earnestness,  devotion,  and 
prayerful  zeal  of  the  instrument  and  the  results 
attained.  It  must  remember  that  apparent  fail- 
ure is  often  the  herald  of  success,  and  that  long 
delay  in  the  harvest  may  mean  nothing  more  than 
that  the  natural  processes  of  seed-sowing  and 
growth  toward  ripened  maturity  are  allowed  to 
go  on,  according  to  the  laws  and  processes  of  the 
spiritual  kingdom.  A  generation  without  a  con- 
vert  has   been  shown  by  experience  to  be  no 


THE  PRESENT  SUCCESS.  303 

sufficient  cause  for  discouragement  or  abandon- 
ment of  hope. 

These,  then,  are  some  of  the  side  lights  upon 
this  question  of  missionary  success.  It  is  not 
simply  a  question  of  individual  conversions,  and 
growing  church  rolls,  and  tabulated  statistics, 
although  in  respect  to  these  tests  foreign  mission- 
ary success  will  bear  favorable  comparison  with 
the  average  results  of  aggressive  Christian  work 
in  Christendom. 

It  is  now  a  century,  dating  back  from  October, 
1892,  since  the  formation  at  Kettering,  England, 
under  the  impulse  of  Carey's  famous  sermon  at 
Nottingham  in  the  previous  month  of  May,  of 
the  first  of  the  organized  missionary  societies  that 
have  multiplied  so  wonderfully  during  the  past 
hundred  years.  It  is  a  century,  dating  back 
from  June,  1893,  since  Carey  and  his  companion 
Thomas  sailed  for  India.  These  incidents  should 
not  be  regarded  as  by  any  means  the  first  efforts 
at  missions,  or  be  exalted  into  such  prominence 
as  would  dim  the  noble  and  glorious  record  of 
the  Moravian  pioneers,  or  the  missionary  heroes 
of    the    three    previous    centuries,    conspicuous 


304      FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

among  whom  stand  the  honored  names  of  EHot, 
Heyling,  Von  Welz,  Von  Westen,  Ziegenbalg, 
Schwartz,  Hans  Egede,  ZInzendorf,  and  Brainerd 
— men  who  gave  themselves  to  missions  with  an 
exalted  enthusiasm,  and  a  depth  of  self-sacrific- 
ing consecration  that  have  not  been  surpassed  in 
the  history  of  the  Church.  We  must  not  be 
unmindful  of  those  who  prayed  and  toiled  for 
missions  in  mediaeval  times,  when  the  Church 
itself  was  dark  and  cold,  and  was  sunk  in  super- 
stition and  ignorance  and  vvorldliness — such  men 
as  Columba,  Aiden,  Columbanus,  Clement,  Boni- 
face, Anskar,  Raymond  Lull,  Francis  of  Assisi, 
the  Nestorian  pioneers  in  China,  and  the  Syrian 
messengers  to  Malabar.  As  our  thoughts  still 
run  back  to  the  early  days  of  Christian  history, 
we  come  into  the  light  of  a  missionary  era  which 
was  full  of  the  freshness  and  power  of  a  living 
Christianity. 

It  remains  true,  however,  that  our  modern  era 
of  missionary  progress  may  very  properly  be 
dated  from  those  magnetic  words  of  Carey : 
"  Expect  great  things  from  God ;  attempt  great 
things  for  God."  The  **  consecrated  cobbler,"  as 
Sydney    Smith    called    him,    was    God's    chosen 


THE  PRESENT  SUCCESS.  305 

instrument  for  giving  a  living  impulse  to  this 
sacred  cause.  He  has  become  a  glorified  leader 
in  the  grandest  movement  of  modern  history. 
His  *'  dreams  of  a  dreamer  who  dreams  that  he 
has  been  dreaming"  were  rather  the  visions  of  a 
seer  who  thinks  the  thoughts  of  God.  Those 
humble  tools  of  iron  with  which  he  worked  upon 
leather  and  last  at  Paulerspury  have  been  trans- 
figured into  spiritual  instruments  with  which  he 
has  shod  the  feet  of  the  century  with  the  prepa- 
ration of  the  Gospel  of  Peace. 

If  we  undertake  now  to  review  the  progress  of 
the  past  hundred  years  from  a  standpoint  which 
insures  us  a  comprehensive  survey  of  all  the 
essential  features  of  missionary  success,  we  will 
find  that  the  record  is  both  brilliant  and  inspir- 
ing. Let  us  endeavor  to  summarize  the  leading 
features  of  progress  along  these  main  hnes  of 
advance  to  which  we  have  referred. 

I.  We  shall  note  first  of  all  the  success  which 
is  indicated  in  the  manifest  tokens  of  God's  favor, 
and  the  signs  of  His  providential  cooperation  for 
the  advancement  of  missions.  Long  before  the 
century  began  we  can  discover  now,  in  the  light 


306     FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

of  subsequent  events,  the  meaning  of  those  mag- 
nificent spiritual  and  intellectual  movements,  which 
were  so  full  of  the  very  breath  of  life  to  the  world. 
With  the  revival  of  letters  in  the  fifteenth  century- 
came  that  right  arm  of  the  quickened  intellect,  ' 
the  printing-press,  and  then  came  the  era  of  dis- 
covery, and  the  grand  spiritual  and  intellectual 
uprising  of  the  Reformation,  with  its  opening  of 
the  Word  of  God  to  the  eyes  of  men,  and  the 
dissemination  of  its  quickening  truth  throughout 
Europe.  There  was  a  gathering  significance  in 
all  this,  and  the  unfolding  of  a  steady  purpose  to 
prepare  the  world  for  its  larger  life  and  grander 
progress,  and  the  Church  of  Christ  for  her  sacred 
mission  among  the  nations.  We  are  living  in  an 
era  of  cumulative  resources  and  mighty  consum- 
mations. Rich,  full  currents  of  history  have  been 
converging  upon  our  century,  and  have  lifted  us 
as  upon  a  flood-tide  of  material  prosperity,  intel- 
lectual culture,  and  spiritual  power.  At  the  same 
time  our  age  is  marked  by  providential  facilities 
and  openings,  which  reveal  the  presence  of  God 
in  the  molding  of  history  as  clearly  as  any  events 
since  Calvary  and  Pentecost. 

The  marvelous  changes,  to  which  previous  ref- 


THE  PRESENT  SUCCESS.  307 

erence  has  been  made,  were,  however,  only  pre- 
liminary to  the  subsequent  widening  and  expansion 
of  Christendom,  and  the  training  of  the  Church 
for  her  missionary  function.  The  foundation  of 
the  Baptist  Missionary  Society  in  1792  was  fol- 
lowed by  that  of  the  London  Missionary  Society 
in  1795,  the  Scottish  Missionary  Society  in  1796, 
the  Netherland  Society  in  1797,  what  is  now 
known  as  the  Church  Missionary  Society  in  1 799, 
the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society  in  1804, 
and  the  American  Board  of  Commissioners  for 
Foreign  Missions  in  18 10.  But  these  signs  of  a 
quickened  missionary  conviction  in  the  hearts  of 
Christians  at  home  were  as  yet  unattended  by  any 
manifest  intervention  on  the  part  of  divine  Provi- 
dence for  the  purpose  of  opening  the  heathen 
world  then  so  tightly  closed  to  the  entrance  of 
missions.  It  was  with  difficulty  that  Carey  and 
Marshman  and  Judson  and  Ward  gained  a  footing 
in  India.  The  opposition  of  the  East  India  Com- 
pany, which  at  that  time  had  the  monopoly  of 
trade  and  government  in  India,  was  both  violent 
and  implacable ;  yet  it  shows  the  rush  of  events 
that  the  very  company  which  scoffed  at  the  com- 
ing of  a  missionary,  and  forbade  him  to  touch  the 


308      FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

soil  of  India,  lowered  its  flags  to  half-mast  when 
Carey  died,  after  a  residence  of  forty  years  in  the 
country,  as  a  token  of  respect  to  his  memory. 

The  special  Providence  of  God  in  the  interests 
of  missions  during  the  past  century  has  been 
revealed  chiefly  in  five  ways:  (i)  He  has  opened 
the  world  to  the  entrance  of  the  missionary.  (2) 
He  has  not  only  opened  the  world  to  the  entrance 
of  missions,  but  He  has  sheltered  and  supported 
them  by  the  great  colonization  movements  of  the 
century.  (3)  He  has  not  only  bid  them  enter, 
and  provided  them  with  a  sufficient  escort,  but 
He  has  surrounded  them  with  a  wonderful  envi- 
ronment of  unprecedented  facilities.  (4)  He  has 
not  only  introduced  them,  and  supported  them, 
and  given  them  facilities,  but  He  has  called 
the  attention  of  modern  scholarship  to  the  fields 
of  literary,  historical,  philosophical,  archaeological, 
and  religious  research  into  which  they  have  en- 
tered. (5)  He  has  not  only  unsealed  closed 
doors,  and  subsidized  government  ambitions,  and 
cast  up  modern  highways,  and  kindled  the  spirit 
of  scholarly  research,  but  He  has  securec  the 
removal  of  hindrances,  and  put  a  restraint  upon 
human  violence  and  opposition. 


THE  PRESENT  SUCCESS.  309 

If  we  turn  now  to  look  a  little  more  closely  at 
the  marvelous  openings  which  God  has  made  for 
the  entrance  of  Christian  missions,  we  are  met  by 
the  fact  that  at  the  beginning  of  the  century 
almost  the  entire  world  outside  of  Christendom 
was  closed  to  mission  effort.  It  was  inaccessible. 
No  Christian  missionary  could  name  the  name  of 
Christ  among  the  heathen  nations.  It  is  difficult 
for  us  at  the  present  time  to  realize  what  was 
implied  in  this  fact.  We  have  become  so  accus- 
tomed to  an  opened  world  that  the  solemn  and 
awful  meaning  of  a  closed  world  is  lost  upon  us. 
We  have,  however,  still  before  us  two  illustrations 
of  these  closed  doors,  in  the  country  of  Thibet 
and  the  city  of  Mecca.  No  Christian  missionary 
could  penetrate  to  the  sacred  city  of  L'hassa  in 
the  interior  of  Thibet,  or  to  the  Moslem  strong- 
hold of  Mecca,  in  southwestern  Arabia,  without 
exposing  himself  to  a  violent  death  upon  the  very 
threshold  of  the  undertaking,  and  should  any 
attempt  be  made  to  force  an  entrance  for  mis- 
sionary purposes  it  would  no  doubt  precipitate  a 
frightful  war. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  century  this  condition 
of  things  was  practically  world  wide.     At  least  a 


3IO      FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

thousand  millions  of  souls  were,  with  scattered 
exceptions,  inaccessible  to  the  Christian  mission- 
ary. The  Islands  of  the  Pacific  were  known  only 
through  the  discoveries  of  adventurous  navigators, 
and  so  barbarous  and  cruel  were  the  inhabitants 
that  it  was  death  to  land  upon  their  shores,  and, 
moreover,  there  were  practically  no  facilities  for 
reaching  them.  Now  twenty-seven  of  the  more 
prominent  groups  have  come  under  the  protection 
of  Christian  powers,  while  missionary  work  is 
conducted  in  the  great  majority  of  them,  and  the 
Gospel  has  triumphed  in  those  dark  regions  as  in 
no  other  part  of  the  heathen  world.  Japan  had 
banished  Roman  Catholic  Missions  in  1614,  and 
closed  its  doors  to  the  entrance  of  foreigners,  but 
on  July  4,  1859,  they  were  thrown  open,  and 
before  January  i,  i860,  three  missions,  the 
American  Reformed,  Episcopal,  and  Presbyterian, 
had  entered  and  established  themselves.  Korea, 
the  *'  Hermit  Nation,"  remained  long  hidden  from 
the  outer  world,  but  in  1884,  less  than  ten  years 
ago,  it  was  opened,  and  our  Presbyterian  Church 
entered  with  a  mission,  and  already  five  other 
societies  have  followed,  and  the  whole  country  is 
at  last  accessible  both   to  the  traveler  and  the 


THE  PRESENT  SUCCESS.  31 1 

missionary.  China,  with  its  vast  dependencies, 
except  where  a  foreign  nation  had  secured  a  foot- 
hold, as  at  Hong-Kong,  was  closed  until  in  1842 
five  ports  were  opened,  and  in  i860  the  Treaty 
of  Tientsin  threw  the  whole  empire  open  to  the 
world,  and  missionaries  at  the  present  moment 
are  occupying  every  great  province,  with  two 
exceptions,  where  itinerating  work  is  done.  The 
same  story  practically  is  true  of  Siam  and  Burma, 
both  of  which  have  become  accessible  within  the 
century.  In  Siam  our  missions  have  been  received 
with  royal  favor,  and  treated  with  distinguished 
courtesy  by  the  government.  The  struggle  of 
Carey  and  his  companions  to  secure  an  entrance 
into  India  has  been  referred  to.  As  early  as 
181 3  liberty  of  evangelization  had  been  conceded 
by  the  East  India  Company,  a  stipulation  which 
was  secured  at  the  time  of  the  renewal  of  its 
charter.  The  country  is  at  present  occupied  by 
fifty-three  missionary  societies  and  twelve  inde. 
pendent  missions.  The  third  Decennial  Confer- 
ence of  these  societies  has  recently  been  held  at 
Bombay,  January,  1893.  Madagascar  was  en- 
tered in  1818,  the  Turkish  Empire  in  1820,  and 
Persia  in  1834. 


312       FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

As  we  touch  the  shores  of  Africa,  we  have 
reached  the  scene  of  perhaps  the  most  remarkable 
providential  developments  of  the  century.  When 
most  of  us  were  born  the  great  interior  regions  of 
Africa  were  unexplored  and  unknown.  To-day 
they  are  the  scene  of  the  political,  commercial, 
and  missionary  activities  of  all  the  great  nations 
of  Christendom.  Modern  steamers  are  navigating 
the  interior  lakes  and  rivers,  and  railway  trains 
will  soon  be  rushing  up  and  down  the  great  Val- 
ley of  the  Congo,  and  both  the  East  and  West 
Coasts  of  the  continent  are  connected  by  cable 
with  the  European  telegraphic  system.  At  this 
moment  the  fate  of  Uganda,  which  represents  the 
latest  movement  toward  a  Christian  protectorate 
in  the  depths  of  the  continent,  seems  to  be  virtu- 
ally decided.  A  royal  commissioner  from  the 
English  government  has  been  sent  there,  and  the 
world  receives  with  keen  interest  the  report  of  his 
mission,  and  the  assurance  that  an  EngHsh  pro- 
tectorate has  been  declared.  At  the  present  time 
European  governments  have  assumed  a  certain 
measure  of  control  over  9,950,000  square  miles, 
which  is  slightly  over  four  fifths  of  the  area  of 
the    continent.      Out    of   a    total    population    of 


THE  PRESENT  SUCCESS.  313 

160,000,000  there  are  110,000,000  who  are 
already,  to  a  greater  or  less  extent,  under  Euro- 
pean control  and  influence,  and  at  the  present 
moment  there  are  fifteen  exploring  expeditions 
busily  at  work  unsealing  the  yet  undisclosed 
secrets  of  the  continent.  It  is  only  a  question  of 
time  when  the  continent  of  Africa  shall  be  pene- 
trated and  absorbed  by  European  control.  Those 
northern  borderlands  along  the  Mediterranean 
that  have  been  for  a  thousand  years  under  the 
control  of  the  Moslem  shall  revert  again  to  the 
Christian.  The  present  English  occupation  of 
Egypt  is  a  typical  and  prophetic  incident.  The 
lesson  of  toleration  and  religious  freedom  is  yet 
to  be  learned  even  in  some  sections  of  modern 
Europe  and  western  Asia.  There  are  great  con- 
vulsions which  must  come  ere  long  in  both  the 
European  and  the  Oriental  worlds,  and  He  who 
rules  the  nations  will  reveal  His  power  to  guide 
and  control  the  changes  of  history  in  the  interest 
of  His  spiritual  and  eternal  kingdom  on  the 
earth.  Everywhere  in  the  world  His  strong 
hand  has  been  busy  during  this  past  century  in 
preparing  for  it  a  highway  among  the  nations  of 
the  earth. 


314     FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

Let  us  note  also  the  Introduction  during  the 
past  century  of  the  era  of  colonization,  and  the 
immense  expansion  of  Christendom  along  the 
lines  of  colonial  enterprise.  The  Dutch  were  here 
early  in  the  field,  and  were  colonizers  even  before 
the  century  began,  but  during  the  century  Eng- 
land has  taken  the  lead,  and  has  extended  her 
political  supremacy  in  every  direction  throughout 
the  world.  France,  Italy,  Portugal,  and  Germany 
have  followed.  In  the  recent  rush  into  Africa 
there  has  been  a  perfect  scramble  and  frolic  of 
colonization  throughout  that  vast  continent.  The 
result  has  been  that  in  the  interior  of  Africa  the 
Congo  Free  State,  under  the  protection  of  the 
European  powers,  has  sprung  into  being  as  if  by 
political  magic,  and  a  modern  map  of  the  African 
continent  is  freshly  partitioned  into  vast  patches 
of  color,  which  indicate  the  varied  spheres  of  Eu- 
ropean possession  and  influence.'  The  result  of 
all  this  has  been  a  marvelous  extension  of  the 
English  language  throughout  the  world,  and  the 
establishment  of  a  measure  of  political  and  civic 
order  over  vast  regions  of  the  earth  where  hitherto 
irresponsible  power  has  held  undisputed  sway. 

Let  us  note  how  the  modern  facilities  of  the 


THE  PRESENT  SUCCESS.  315 

century  have  to  a  wonderful  extent  entered  these 
open  doors  among  the  nations.  There  are 
18,000  miles  of  railway  in  India  and  1500  miles 
in  Japan,  and  even  in  China  some  150  miles  of 
railway  have  cut  a  passage  through  the  rocky 
barriers  of  Chinese  conservatism  within  the  past 
five  years.  Projected  lines  are  planned  for  in 
the  Turkish  Empire,  and  it  is  a  matter  of  ex- 
pectancy that  the  exigencies  of  European  occu- 
pation in  various  sections  of  the  continent  will 
soon  require  that  Africa  shall  exchange  her  slow- 
winding  caravans  for  the  swift  rush  of  the  "  iron 
horse."  A  railway  from  the  East  Coast  to  the 
Victoria  Nyanza  is  already  in  sight  as  the  result 
of  the  British  protectorate  of  Uganda.  The  whole 
Oriental  world  is  now  accessible  by  sea  in  mag- 
nificent modern  steamers ;  banking  facilities  have 
been  established ;  protection  has  been  widely 
secured ;  the  printing-press  has  been  quickly 
adopted  and  put  to  service  in  many  languages ; 
the  highest  achievements  of  the  century  are 
hastening  to  render  service  to  missions,  not  of 
course  with  any  conscious  design,  but  with  that 
unconscious  cooperation  which  the  providence  of 
God  quietly  exacts. 


3l6      FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

Once  more,  the  scholarship  of  the  century  has 
followed  hard  upon  the  track  of  missions,  and 
has  found  in  the  researches  of  missionaries  its 
highest  stimulus  and  its  freshest  available  mate- 
rial. No  one  can  trace  the  recent  progress  in 
Oriental  study  without  being  impressed  with  the 
rich  mines  of  philology,  archaeology,  ethnology, 
folk-lore,  ancient  philosophy,  and  comparative  re- 
ligion which  have  been  opened  up  to  the  investi- 
gations of  Oriental  scholars.  The  sacred  books 
of  the  East  have  been  opened  and  read  to  the 
world ;  the  philosophical  content  and  the  prac- 
tical outcome  of  the  great  ethnic  religions  of 
antiquity  have  been  laid  bare.  The  real  condi- 
tion of  a  hitherto  unknown  world  has  been 
exposed  to  view.  The  spiritual  and  practical 
failure  of  human  religions  has  been  demonstrated 
anew.  The  world  is  learning  more  than  it  knew 
before  of  the  tendencies  of  Christless  history. 
The  Church  is  appreciating  more  and  more  the 
magnitude  of  her  task,  and  is  learning  to  prize 
with  new  veneration  and  assurance  the  priceless 
message  of  the  Christianity  which  she  is  commis- 
sioned to  disseminate  among  men. 

We  have  still  another  example  of  God's  provl- 


THE  PRESENT  SUCCESS.  317 

dential  intervention  in  lifting  out  of  the  way  the 
barriers  that  have  confronted  the  pathway  of 
missions,  in  restraining  the  barbarities  which 
have  threatened  them,  in  subduing  the  fierce 
spirit  of  fanaticism,  and  in  putting  an  end  to 
some  of  the  great  and  cruel  wrongs  that  have 
flourished  in  the  dark  days  of  undisputed  heathen 
supremacy. 

II.  We  note  another  element  in  the  missionary 
successes  of  the  century  in  the  rapid  multiplica- 
tion of  missionary  agencies.  A  marked  change 
of  sentiment  and  an  astonishing  expansion  of 
effort  is  noticeable  in  this  connection.  At  the 
beginning  of  the  century  the  organization  of  a 
missionary  society  for  the  avowed  purpose  of 
sending  the  Gospel  to  the  heathen  world  was  a 
matter  of  considerable  difficulty.  The  proposals 
of  Carey  were  received  with  ridicule  by  the 
world  and  with  coldness  by  the  Church,  although 
the  devoted  Moravians  had  been  laboring  for 
over  fifty  years  at  that  time,  and  other  forerun- 
ners of  Carey  had  made  earnest  but  compara- 
tively fruitless  appeals  to  the  Christian  Church  to 
consider  this  neglected  duty.     Two  typical  inci- 


3l8      FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

dents  will  illustrate  public  sentiment  at  the  two 
extremes  of  the  century.  In  1796  the  subject 
of  foreign  missions  was  introduced  and  debated 
in  the  Scottish  General  Assembly,  and  was  re- 
garded at  that  time  by  that  representative  body 
as  hardly  worthy  of  serious  consideration,  and 
the  proposal  was  characterized  as  both  absurd 
and  revolutionary.  At  the  gathering  of  the  Free 
Church  division  of  this  same  body  in  1886,  the 
Moderator,  the  venerable  Dr.  Somerville,  as  he 
took  the  chair  announced  that  he  had  brought 
with  him  a  new  prayer-book  which  he  intended 
to  introduce  and  make  use  of  during  the  sessions 
of  the  Assembly.  At  the  same  time  he  lifted 
before  the  eyes  of  the  audience  one  of  Keith 
Johnston's  pocket  atlases,  and  as  he  offered 
prayer  session  after  session  he  literally  prayed 
through  that  pocket  atlas,  naming  in  succession 
the  countries  and  peoples  of  the  earth.  The 
impression  of  this  detailed  and  specific  prayer  for 
the  nations  of  the  earth  by  name  was  profound 
and  suggestive,  and  in  harmony  with  the  devel- 
oped missionary  spirit  of  our  age. 

When   the    American   Board  of  Missions  was 
incorporated    the    proposal   excited    considerable 


THE  PRESENT  SUCCESS.  319 

opposition  in  the  Massachusetts  Legislature,  upon 
the  plea  that  America  had  no  religion  to  spare. 
The  London  Times,  until  quite  recently,  has 
spoken  in  terms  of  disparagement  and  mild  con- 
tempt of  the  missionary  enterprise,  but  now  its 
tone  has  changed,  and  in  the  weekly  edition  for 
January  2"],  1893,  I  find  a  long  and  cordial  notice 
of  the  Decennial  Missionary  Conference  which 
had  just  been  held  at  Bombay,  in  which  the  mis- 
sionary work  in  India  is  referred  to  in  terms  of 
high  respect  and  appreciation.  That  sign  which 
used  to  be  placed  over  the  doors  of  Christian 
churches  in  Cape  Colony,  South  Africa,  announc- 
ing that  "  Dogs  and  Hottentots "  were  not  ad- 
mitted, has  long  ago  been  discarded.  Monu- 
ments to  missionary  pioneers  are  beginning  to 
appear.  There  is  one  of  Livingstone,  with  Bible 
and  ax  in  hand,  in  Edinburgh,  and  another  to 
him  in  Westminster  Abbey,  where  he  is  buried. 
There  is  a  Memorial  Church  to  Judson  in  Wash- 
ington Square,  New  York. 

In  connection  with  this  marked  change  in 
public  sentiment,  we  can  trace  all  through  the 
century  a  chain  of  great  missionary  societies 
which  have  been  organized,  and  have  developed 


320     FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

rapidly  in  numbers  and  resources  and  in  the 
expansion  of  their  operations.  For  the  sake  of 
Hmiting  our  survey  to  the  progress  of  the  past 
century,  we  will  consider  only  the  development 
of  missionary  agencies  as  dated  from  the  time  of 
Carey.  Counting,  then,  from  the  organization  of 
the  Baptist  Missionary  Society  of  England  in 
1792,  we  have  at  that  date  one  society,  which  in 
1842  (fifty  years)  had  increased  to  2^ ;  in  1867 
(seventy-five  years  later)  to  58;  and  in  1892,  at 
the  end  of  the  century,  to  280.  In  1792  the 
income  of  that  one  society  was  $415;  in  1842 
$3,000,000,  were  given  to  the  different  societies ; 
in  1867  the  united  income  had  reached  $5,100,- 
000 ;  while  in  1 892  the  total  income  of  all  the 
societies  had  become  $14,588,354.  Three  of 
these  agencies — the  Church  Missionary  Society 
of  England,  the  Methodist  Episcopal  and  Pres- 
byterian of  the  United  States — have  passed  the 
million-dollar  line  of  annual  income.  The  first 
Bible  Society,  the  British  and  Foreign,  was 
formed  in  1804,  and  the  American  Bible  Society 
in  1 8 16.  In  1892  there  were  80  Bible  Societies 
in  the  world.  In  the  year  1800  the  Bible  trans- 
lations in  existence  were  47.     They  now  number 


THE  PRESENT  SUCCESS.  321 

90  entire  versions  and  230  partial,  making  a  total 
of  320,  while  the  total  circulation  of  the  Script- 
ures during  the  century  amounts  to  350,000,000 
copies,  and  the  Word  of  God  is  at  present  within 
sight  and  in  possible  touch  with  the  hearts  of  at 
least  500,000,000  of  our  race,  who  were  practi- 
cally unconscious  of  its  existence  at  the  beginning 
of  the  century. 

The  growth  of  Woman's  Foreign  Missionary 
Societies  is  also  a  striking  feature  in  the  advance 
of  the  century.  Although  there  is  a  woman's 
society  in  Great  Britain  which  dates  back  to 
1834,  the  first  organization  of  the  kind  in  the 
United  States  was  in  1861,  where  at  present  they 
number  33.  If  we  add  9  in  Canada  and  30  in 
Great  Britain  and  the  continent  of  Europe,  we 
have  a  total  of  72  in  Europe  and  America. 
There  are  still  a  few  others  in  various  parts  of 
the  world  which  are  not  included  in  the  above 
enumeration.  Other  missionary  societies  are 
springing  up  in  connection  with  the  Students* 
Volunteer  Movement,  the  Young  Men's  Christian 
Associations,  and  the  Young  People's  Societies 
of  Christian  Endeavor.  The  International  Mis- 
sionary Union  is  already  a  power,  and  although 


322      FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

its  aim  is  rather  in  the  Hne  of  the  discussion  of 
missionary  themes,  its  field  of  influence  is  unique, 
and  its  promise  of  usefuhiess  is  most  encourag- 
ing. Its  annual  symposiums  deserve  to  be  pub- 
lished as  a  permanent  contribution  to  missionary 
literature. 

The  Inter- Seminary  Missionary  AlHances  have 
a  noble  field  for  tlieir  activities.  A  distinctive 
feature  in  connection  with  the  Columbian  Expo- 
sition is  to  be  the  consideration  of  the  religious 
state  of  the  world  and  the  advance  of  Christian 
Missions. 

The  missionary  literature  of  the  century  has 
grown  to  remarkable  proportions,  and  every  year 
of  the  last  decade  has  brought  us  a  rich  addi- 
tional contribution  upon  this  subject.  Much  val- 
uable experience  has  been  gained  as  to  the 
methods  of  a  wise  missionary  policy.  Mistakes 
have  been  discovered  and  rectified.  Problems 
have  been  discussed,  and  partially,  if  not  fully, 
solved.  The  entrance  of  a  new  century  finds  the 
missionary  operations  of  the  Christian  Church 
under  the  control  of  trained  and  experienced 
organizations,    which    are   prepared   to   press    on 


THE  PRESENT  SUCCESS.  323 

under  the  impulse  of  hopeful  courage,  and  under 
the  guidance  of  mature  experience.  We  must 
not  forget  to  note  also  the  rise  and  growth  of 
missionary  societies  in  lands  which  were  them- 
selves heathen  countries  at  the  beginning  of  the 
century.  There  are  already  partially  organized 
efforts  of  this  character  in  Japan,  China,  India, 
and  at  many  points  in  the  Pacific  Islands. 

Let  us  not  forget,  however,  that  although 
there  is  much  to  record  in  this  connection  which 
is  inspiring  and  encouraging,  yet  there  are  some 
features  which  indicate  that  the  missionary  ear- 
nestness of  the  century  has  developed  slowly, 
and  that  the  resources  of  Christendom  have  as 
yet  been  hardly  touched  in  the  interests  of  mis- 
sions. The  estimate  is  not  far  from  the  truth 
which  credits  nine  tenths  of  what  is  given  for 
missions  to  about  one  tenth  of  the  Christian 
membership  of  our  churches,  and  there  is  good 
reason  to  fear  that  at  least  one  half  of  our  church- 
membership  give  nothing  for  the  support  of  mis- 
sions. If  every  Protestant  church-member  in 
the  United  States  (estimating  the  number  at 
14,000,000)   gave   even  one  cent  a  Sunday   to 


324      FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

foreign  missions,  the  result  would  be  an  in- 
come of  $7,280,000  instead  of  $5,000,000.  If 
the  church-membership  of  Protestant  Christen- 
dom on  both  sides  of  the  Atlantic  (estimating 
it  at  40,000,000)  should  give  the  same  amount, 
the  income  would  be  $20,800,000  instead  of 
$14,588,354.  If  the  Protestant  church-member- 
ship of  the  United  States  should  give  a  nickle  a 
Sunday  to  this  cause,  it  would  result  in  an  in- 
come of  $36,400,000.  If  they  should  become 
what  the  Bible  calls  ''hilarious  givers,"  as  Presi- 
dent Merrill  Gates  aptly  characterizes  the  full 
significance  of  the  expression  which  is  translated 
"cheerful  giver,"  and  should  revel  in  the  gift  of 
ten  cents  a  Sabbath  for  the  redemption  of  the 
world,  our  resources  for  foreign  missions  would 
reach  the  astonishing  figure  of  $72,800,000.  It 
is  apparent  that  there  are  still  undeveloped 
resources  in  the  Christian  Church  which  are  yet 
to  be  consecrated  to  missions,  and  the  coming 
century  will  no  doubt  witness  substantial  progress 
in  this  respect,  while  the  development  of  the 
missionary  possibilities  of  the  foreign  fields  them- 
selves is  still  a  reserved  force  of  as  yet  unknown 
proportions. 


THE  PRESENT  SUCCESS.  325 

III.  We  have  another  important  and  promising 
factor  in  the  successes  of  the  century  in  the 
establishment  of  the  mission  plant  in  foreign 
lands.  We  shall  deal  here  with  statistics  which 
speak  for  themselves,  without  any  attempt  to 
demonstrate  their  success. 

There  are  at  the  present  time  3388  principal 
stations  where  missionaries  reside,  and  from 
which  mission  work  is  conducted  in  outlying 
regions  containing  numerous  substations.  These 
outstations,  in  addition  to  the  centers  already 
named,  number  13,432,  making  a  total  of  16,820 
localities  where  mission  work  is  planted.  There 
are  7800  organized  churches  in  the  foreign  mis- 
sion fields,  and  4500  ordained  native  preachers, 
and,  in  addition,  40,032  native  lay-helpers.  There 
are  about  7000  Sabbath-schools  with  1,006,768 
scholars.  In  this  summary  of  evangelistic  agen- 
cies we  must  not  forget  to  notice  the  special 
work  in  the  zenana  and  in  the  home,  which  has 
been  so  recently  and  rapidly  organized,  and  so 
successfully  conducted  by  devoted  wornxn  who 
have  made  it  their  specialty.  It  is  only  since 
1 85 1  that  this  work  was  begun  in  India,  and  this 
"storming  of  the  zenana,"  which  is  a  stronghold 


326      FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

of  Hindu  and  Mohammedan  jealousy  and  super- 
stition, by  the  missionary  heroines  of  India,  witli 
their  weapons  of  love,  tact,  and  sympathy,  is  one 
of  those  silent  conquests  by  spiritual  forces  which 
resembles  the  victory  of  the  sunlight  as  it  melts 
the  mighty  masses  of  snow  and  ice  which  would 
be  immovable  by  any  other  force. 

The  educational  plant  is  scarcely  less  remark- 
able than  the  evangelistic.  There  are  colleges, 
higher  educational  institutions,  theological  semi- 
naries, and  common  schools ;  and  in  these  institu- 
tions there  are  gathered  678,370  of  the  young  of 
both  sexes  receiving  the  inestimable  advantages 
of  a  Christian  education.  What  this  one  fact 
means  to  the  world  in  the  coming  generation  is 
beyond  all  computation.  He  who  came  as  the 
Light  of  the  World  is  the  real  Founder  of  these 
agencies  of  instruction,  and  it  is  under  the  guid- 
ance of  His  Spirit  that  the  instruction  given 
through  these  educational  channels  is  so  full  of 
spiritual  illumination  and  religious  edification. 
The  significance  of  the  educational  aspect  of  for- 
eign missionary  work  appears  further  in  the  fact 
that  the  whole  educational  impulse  in  lands  where 
missions  have  entered  can  be   traced  largely  to 


THE  PRESENT  SUCCESS.  327 

the  Influence  of  missionary  example  and  sugges- 
tion. The  governmental  system  of  education  in 
India  is  due  to  the  energy  and  wisdom  of  Dr. 
Duff,  and  in  Japan,  where  such  wonders  have 
been  accomplished  in  this  line,  it  is  fair  to  say 
that  the  educational  plans  of  missionaries  have 
led  the  way  to  the  present  large  and  generous 
scheme  of  the  Japanese  government. 

Evangehstic  and  educational  agencies  are 
nobly  supplemented  by  literary  achievements. 
The  mastering  of  languages,  their  reduction  to 
writing,  and  the  construction  of  a  workable  gram- 
matical system,  so  that  they  are  ready  for  literary 
use,  both  in  the  hands  of  the  author  and  the 
printer,  has  been  one  of  the  most  brilliant  intel- 
lectual triumphs  of  missions.  During  the  cen- 
tury many  languages  that  were  hitherto  beyond 
the  reach  of  pen  or  type  have  been  brought  into 
literary  being,  and  the  first,  as  also  the  most  sa- 
cred, use  to  which  these  linguistic  creations  have 
been  put  is  to  make  them  the  medium  of  trans- 
mitting the  thoughts  of  God  to  the  minds  and 
hearts  of  His  children.  But  aside  from  the 
languages  which  have  been  born  again  to  this 
high  service,  the  great  existing  languages  of  the 


328      FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

earth  have  been  made  the  medium  of  a  choice 
and  affluent  contribution  of  religious  and  educa- 
tional literature  to  nations  that  were  almost 
utterly  destitute  of  the  literary  riches  of  the  Gos- 
pel or  the  higher  moral  instruction  of  Christianity. 
At  the  beginning  of  the  century — a  fact  which  will 
bear  repetition — the  Bible  translations  numbered 
47  ;  at  the  present  time  the  entire  Bible  is  found 
in  90  languages,  and  the  New  Testament,  or 
portions  of  the  Bible,  are  found  in  230  additional 
languages,  making  a  total  of  320  full  or  partial 
translations  of  the  Scriptures  at  present  in  exist- 
ence. In  connection  with  foreign  missions  there 
are  many  presses,  or  publication  houses,  issuing 
at  the  present  date  hundreds  of  thousands  of 
volumes  annually,  representing  an  annual  total  of 
many  millions  of  pages  printed.  Newspapers, 
periodicals,  and  tracts  are  issued  under  mission 
auspices  in  every  language  through  which  mission 
work  is  conducted. 

The  first  printing-press  in  India  was  estab- 
lished at  Serampore  in  1800,  for  which  Carey 
supplied  the  brains  and  Ward  the  hands,  and 
they  were  soon  working  in  thirteen  different  lan- 
guages, and   in  181 2    they  were   actually  print- 


THE  PRESENT  SUCCESS.  329 

ing  the  Bible  in  eight  different  languages,  with 
three  other  translations  ready  for  the  press.  At 
the  present  time  the  Bible  is  printed  entire  in 
thirteen  of  the  principal  languages  of  India,  and 
portions  of  it  in  over  thirty  of  the  less  important 
ones. 

The  literary  invasion  of  China  began  with  the 
first  attempt  at  a  printing  estabHshment,  in  1833, 
by   Dr.    S.   Wells  Williams,  and   at   the   present 
time  our  Presbyterian  Mission  Press  at  Shanghai 
alone  has  over  seven  hundred  publications  in  the 
native  language  upon  its  catalogue,  and  the  issue 
for   1 89 1   amounted  to  615,450  volumes,   repre- 
senting  a   total   of    over   41,000,000   pages.      In 
addition  to  this  there  are  four  other  evangelical 
publication  agencies  in   China,  doing  a  work  of 
incalculable   value   in  distributing  the  leaven  of 
the    truth    throughout    the    empire.      One    tract 
alone,  from  the  pen  of  Dr.  Griffith  John,  issued 
by  the  Central  China  Religious  Tract  Society  at 
Hangkow,  has  reached  a  circulation  of  224,000. 
Another,  upon  "  The  Great  Themes  of  the  Gos- 
pel," has  attained   a  circulation   of  223,000,  and 
still  another  of  68,000.     The  total  sales  of  this 
one   tract    society   up    to   1 891   are    reported    as 


330     FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

5,879,984  volumes.  China  boasts  of  its  literature 
both  old  and  new,  but  a  literary  force  is  now  at 
work  in  the  empire  which  will  ere  long  rob  the 
vast  treasures  of  ancient  heathen  literature  of 
their  glory. 

A  work  of  similar  character  has  been  going  on 
through  the  agency  of  the  Arabic,  the  sacred 
language  of  the  Mohammedan  world,  designed  in 
the  providence  of  God  to  be  the  literary  medium 
of  approach  to  Moslems.  The  Arabic  Bible 
translated  by  Drs.  Eli  Smith  and  C.  V.  A.  Van 
Dyck  is  one  of  the  noblest  literary  monuments 
of  this  age.  Our  Presbyterian  Mission  Press  at 
Beirut  has  483  volumes  upon  its  catalogue,  and 
prints  about  25,000,000  pages  annually.  At  the 
present  time  the  whole  New  Testament  in  the 
languages  of  New  Guinea  and  Uganda  is  being 
printed  by  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society 
in  England,  and  the  Bible  newly  translated  in 
six  languages  of  foreign  mission  fields  is  going 
through  the  press  of  our  American  Bible  Society. 

The  medical  plant  is  full  of  power,  and  is 
charged  with  a  gracious  and  blessed  ministry  in 
the  mission  fields.  The  Edinburgh  Medical  Mis- 
sionary Society,  founded  in  1841,  was  the  first  to 


THE  PRESENT  SUCCESS.  33  I 

organize,  and  there  are  now  five  societies  estab- 
lished exclusively  for  the  conduct  of  medical 
missions,  while  all  missionary  societies  to  a 
greater  or  less  extent  include  medical  work  in 
their  operations.  In  1849  there  ^^^^  ^2  medical 
missionaries  in  the  non-Christian  world.  They 
have  now  increased  to  359,  of  whom  74  are 
women.  It  is  said  of  Dr.  Parker,  the  first  medi- 
cal missionary  to  China,  in  1834,  who  was  after- 
ward instrumental  in  founding  the  Edinburgh 
Medical  Missionary  Society,  that  "  he  opened 
China  at  the  point  of  the  lancet."  Medical  work 
is  now  carried  on  through  medical  schools  for  the 
training  of  native  physicians,  prominent  among 
which  are  the  Medical  Department  of  the  Syrian 
Protestant  College  at  Beirut,  and  the  Dufferin 
Training  Schools  in  India. 

The  personal  services  of  medical  missionaries 
are  given  in  connection  with  hospitals  and  dis- 
pensaries, and  by  itinerant  visitation  through 
destitute  regions.  The  highest  type  of  medical 
heroism  has  been  illustrated  in  the  devotion, 
fearlessness,  and  self-sacrificing  toils  of  these 
missionary  physicians.  They  fight  every  species 
of  fearful    and   loathsome  disease.     They   stand 


00- 


FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 


face  to  face  with  frightful  epidemics,  and  lay 
their  healing  hands  on  helpless  human  sufferers 
in  places  where  there  is  no  ear  to  hear,  and  no 
arm  to  save  but  theirs.  The  medical  missionary 
work  in  China  is  a  magnificent  triumph.  To 
quote  the  London  Times  :  "  China  had  no  effi- 
cient hospitals  or  medical  attendance  until  the 
missionaries  established  them,  and  in  truth  she 
has  no  other  now,  and  when  her  great  men,  such 
as  Li  Hung  Chang  and  Prince  Chun,  are  in  seri- 
ous danger  they  have  to  go  to  the  despised 
missionary  doctor  for  that  efficient  aid  which  no 
Chinaman  can  give  them." 

Still  another  department  of  the  mission  plant, 
and  one  which  is  coming  into  greater  prominence 
year  by  year  in  certain  sections  of  the  world,  is 
the  industrial.  The  name  industrial  does  not 
imply  that  this  department  of  work  is  without 
educational  and  evangelistic  features.  In  many 
so-called  industrial  schools  the  work  of  Christian 
instruction  is  simply  combined  with  industrial 
training,  with  singularly  happy  and  useful  results. 
The  mission  fields  which  are  opening  up  in 
Africa  seem  to  call  for  industrial  training  as  a 
most   valuable  feature  of   missionary   effort.     A 


THE  PRESENT  SUCCESS.  333 

new  and  promising  field  is  also  in  view  in  con- 
nection with  mission  work  among  women  in  India 
and  elsewhere.  A  conspicuous  example  of  suc- 
cess in  the  sphere  of  industrial  effort  is  the  Love- 
dale  Institute,  in  Cape  Colony,  South  Africa, 
under  the  auspices  of  the  Free  Church  of  Scot- 
land. The  Jubilee  of  this  institute  was  celebrated 
in  July,  1 89 1.  It  began  with  20  pupils;  it  has 
now  660.  Over  two  thousand  graduates  of  the 
school  are  now  engaged  in  useful  occupations, 
and  have  received  the  spiritual  benefits  of  their 
training  there.  The  school  is  rapidly  becoming 
self-supporting,  as  only  twenty-five  per  cent,  of 
the  annual  expenditure  is  now  drawn  from  home 
sources.  Sir  Langham  Dale,  superintendent- 
general  of  education  in  Cape  Colony,  gives  it  as 
his  testimony  that  "  undoubtedly  Lovedale  is  one 
of  the  noblest  and  most  successful  missionary 
agencies  founded  and  supported  in  Cape  Colony 
by  British  philanthropy."  The  Rev.  Dr.  James 
Stewart,  the  present  principal  of  Lovedale,  has 
now  gone  into  British  East  Africa,  at  the  request 
of  friends  in  Scotland,  to  establish  a  similar  insti- 
tution, to  be  named  "  New  Lovedale."  Its  loca- 
tion has  already  been   selected,  about   eighteen 


334      FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

days'  journey  into  the  interior  from  Mombasa,  on 
the  regular  caravan  route  to  Uganda.  A  situa- 
tion has  been  found  three  thousand  feet  above 
the  level  of  the  sea,  and  the  necessary  buildings 
are  now  approaching  completion.  Industrial 
training  is  also  a  special  feature  of  Bishop  Tay- 
lor's self-supporting  missions  in  Africa.  This 
department  is  regarded  with  marked  favor  by  the 
Lutheran  Church  and  the  Basle  Missionary  Soci- 
ety, and  institutions  have  already  been  estab- 
lished for  Mohammedan  women  in  India. 

The  number  of  these  industrial  schools  is 
increasing,  and  their  practical  usefulness  is 
becoming  more  and  more  manifest.  Among  the 
branches  of  industry  in  which  instruction  is  given 
may  be  named  wagon-building,  blacksmithing, 
printing,  bookbinding,  telegraphing,  tailoring, 
tanning,  shoemaking,  weaving,  baking,  and  tile- 
making,  and  many  departments  of  agricultural 
production.  In  some  cases  the  higher  arts,  as 
civil  and  mechanical  engineering,  the  manufacture 
of  industrial  implements,  and  the  making  of  locks 
and  watches,  are  taught.  To  women  instruction 
has  been  given  in  embroidery,  sewing,  in  the 
use  of  the  sewing-machine,  in  nursing,  pharmacy, 


THE  PRESENT  SUCCESS.  335 

domestic  service,  and  housekeeping.  In  India 
a  woman  graduate  of  one  of  these  schools  has 
been  appointed  to  the  charge  of  the  post-office 
at  Mandapasalai.  This  method  of  combining  a 
training  which  opens  the  door  for  a  self-support- 
ing and  self-respecting  future  with  the  spiritual 
instruction  of  Christian  missions  is  one  which 
promises  to  be  specially  fruitful  among  uncivil- 
ized and  barbarous  races.  It  opens  to  them  a 
new  world,  which  is  doubly  blessed  with  spiritual 
guidance  and  industrial  occupation,  so  that  the 
exit  from  barbarism  has  not  only  a  promise  for 
the  life  to  come,  but  a  prospect  for  the  life  that 
now  is. 

IV.  The  fourth  element  in  the  successes  of  the 
century  is  the  introduction  of  the  Gospel  leaven 
throughout  the  heathen  world.  The  success  here 
Cometh  in  a  large  measure  without  observation, 
but  no  behever  who  has  studied  the  significance 
of  our  Saviour's  parable  can  doubt  that  a 
wonderful  and  mysterious  force  is  active  in  our 
mission  fields.  Wherever  mission  work  has  been 
inaugurated  and  the  Bible  introduced  among  a 
people,  mighty  changes  are  silently  progressing, 


336      FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

the  significance  and  power  of  which  are  known 
only  to  God.  The  wealth  of  Christian  leaven 
which  this  century  has  introduced  among 
heathen  nations  is  something  which  cannot  be 
known,  nor  can  its  silent  and  mighty  transforma- 
tions be  estimated  or  demonstrated. 

V.  Still  another  force  which  must  be  brought 
into  line  in  estimating  the  mission  successes  of 
the  past  hundred  years,  is  the  growing  coopera- 
tion of  native  agencies,  and  the  growth  of  spon- 
taneity in  the  mission  churches.  The  native 
converts  are  coming  to  the  front.  They  are 
already  rallying  by  tens  of  thousands  to  the  ser- 
vice of  the  kingdom  in  mission  lands.  There  are 
already  over  44,000  native  laborers  upon  mission 
fields.  Some  of  the  most  prominent  positions — 
as,  for  example,  the  presidency  of  the  Meiji 
Gakuin  at  Tokyo,  Japan,  and  of  the  Doshisha  at 
Kyoto — and  chairs  of  instruction  in  colleges,  as 
well  as  prominent  pastorates,  are  now  occupied 
by  natives.  In  many  of  the  South  Sea  Islands, 
in  New  Guinea,  Burma,  India,  China,  Japan, 
Madagascar,  the  Turkish  Empire,  and  Persia,  the 
work  of  the  native  preachers  and  evangelists  is 


THE  PRESENT  SUCCESS.  337 

giving  a  magnificent  impulse  to  the  whole  mis- 
sionary movement.     There  are  missionary  socie- 
ties in  the   Sandwich  Islands,  in  Madagascar,  in 
India,  in  Japan,  in  the  South  Sea  Islands,  and  in 
Turkey.      Some  of  the  native  churches  of  India 
are  sending  their  missionaries  into  regions  where 
no  foreign  missionary  can  enter,  as  Independent 
Bhutan,  and  Thibet.      A  work  similar  to  that  of 
George  Miiller  has  been  undertaken  by  a  native 
of  Japan,  who  has  his  orphanage  in  that  country. 
Mr.  L.  D.  Wishard  reports  since  his  recent  mis- 
sionary tour  around  the  world  the  existence  of 
185  associations  of  native  young  men  in  foreign 
mission  fields  who  are  banded  together  under  the 
auspices  of  Young  Men's  Christian  Associations. 
Of  this  number  45  bands  are  student  organiza- 
tions in  connection  Vv^ith  colleges.      The  missionary 
spirit  in  these  associations  is  active  and  aggress- 
ive.    The  service  of  Christian  natives  finds  also 
an  extensive  and   important  field  in  journalism, 
in   translation,    and    in    original    contributions   to 
Christian  literature.     The  contribution  of  native 
churches  to  the  treasuries  of  our  home  missionary 
societies  has  grown  to  be  of   most  encouraging 
proportions;  especially  is  this  true  of  the  London 


338      FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

Missionary  Society,  which  in  its  annual  report  for 
1892  acknowledges  from  that  source  an  income 
of  $110,720,  and  the  Church  Missionary  Society 
of  $65,865,  and  the  Wesleyan  Missionary  Society 
of  $21,360.  What  this  cooperation  of  native 
churches  will  expand  to  in  the  coming  centiir}^ 
no  one  can  foresee.  "  The  fruit  thereof  may 
shake  like  Lebanon  "  throughout  all  the  heathen 
world. 

VI.  We  have  come  now  to  what  might  be 
considered  by  many  as  the  most  conspicuous  and 
convincing  evidence  of  success  that  the  century 
affords — the  actual  conversions  that  have  resulted 
from  mission  work.  The  record  is  indeed  a 
cheering  and  inspiring  one.  The  present  statis- 
tics of  mission  churches  report  about  900,000  liv- 
ing church-members.  If  we  added  to  this  those 
church-members  who  have  died  in  the  faith 
within  the  century,  we  may  with  all  assurance 
increase  the  number  by  200,000  more,  making  a 
round  1,100,000.  If  we  add  still  an  unknown 
quantity,  namely,  those  who  have  found  Christ, 
and  whose  names  to-day,  whether  they  be  living 
or  dead,  are  on  the  rolls  of  the  Church  Invisible, 


THE  PRESENT  SUCCESS.  339 

we  may  count  with  assurance  upon  500,000 
more.  We  have  been  speaking  of  souls  brought 
into  saving  contact  and  spiritual  union  with 
Christ.  There  is  a  still  larger  environment  of 
Christian  adherents,  or  those  who  have  been  * 
brought  within  the  circle  of  Christian  missionary 
organizations,  and  are  publicly  known  as  adher- 
ents of  the  Christian  religion,  in  distinction  from 
those  who  are  identified  with  other  religious 
faiths.  The  number  of  these  w^e  have  no  hesita- 
tion in  reckoning  as  at  least  3,000,000,  making  a 
total  of  adherents  and  communicants  of  nearly 
4,000,000. 

In  the  Almanac  of  the  American  Board  for 
1893,  carefully  prepared  statistics  indicate  the 
number  of  communicants  added  last  year  in  the 
foreign  missions  under  the  care  of  American 
societies  alone  as  over  50,000.  If  we  add  to 
these  those  received  by  the  societies  of  Great 
Britain  and  the  continent  of  Europe,  we  shall 
have  without  a  doubt  50,000  more — in  all,  ^ 
100,000  converts  in  the  past  year.  It  is  nearly 
2000  per  week.  Let  us  imagine  ourselves,  upon 
the  first  Sabbath  morning  of  1892,  seated  in  the 
gallery    of    some  large  American   church   which 


340      FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

would  seat  a  round  thousand  on  the  ground-floor, 
and  looking  down,  with  moistened  eyes  and 
sweUing  heart,  upon  a  reverent  assembly  of  a 
thousand  souls  literally  from  all  nations  and  kin- 
dreds and  tribes  and  tongues  and  peoples  of 
heathen  lands,  with  every  specimen  of  strange 
physiognomy  and  every  variety  of  curious  cos- 
tume, gathered  together  for  the  first  time,  with 
tender  hearts  and  beaming  faces,  to  partake  of 
the  communion  at  our  Lord's  table.  Let  us 
imagine  ourselves  duplicating  this  same  experi- 
ence upon  the  afternoon  of  the  same  Sabbath,  in 
the  same  church,  with  another  and  entirely  differ- 
ent audience,  of  very  much  the  same  character, 
met  together  for  the  same  purpose,  and  let  us 
imagine  ourselves  thus  engaged  morning  and 
afternoon  during  every  Sabbath  of  the  past  year, 
through  winter's  cold  and  summer's  heat,  in  sun- 
shine and  in  storm,  without  a  single  omission ;  as 
we  came  to  the  last  Sabbath  of  the  year,  would 
we  believe  in  foreign  missions  or  not?  If  the 
Christian  Church  could  have  one  year  of  visible 
evidence  such  as  this,  we  should  have  no  occasion 
to  plead  or  beg  for  the  support  of  foreign  mis- 
sions.    It  would  seem  like  a  veritable  sabbatical 


THE  PRESENT  SUCCESS.  341 

year  of  Christian  jubilee,  and  yet  it  would  be 
only  the  visible  exemplification  of  sober  actual 
fact. 

Bishop  Thoburn,  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  missionary  bishop  of  India  and  Malaysia, 
has  recently  visited  America  upon  a  brief  vaca- 
tion from  his  laborious  duties.  He  has  just 
returned  to  India,  and  in  a  letter  written  soon 
after  his  landing  he  mentions  the  fact  that  during 
his  absence  in  America  he  finds  that  15,000  souls 
have  been  admitted  to  the  communion  in  his 
diocese.  Fifteen  thousand  conversions  during  a 
missionary  vacation  shows  us  at  once  the  impulse 
and  the  headway  which  the  work  has  gained, 
and  the  way  in  which  God  can  carry  it  on,  even 
though  the  one  whom  he  has  placed  at  the  head 
as  its  leader  and  chief  counselor  is  resting  apart 
for  a  while. 

The  startling  rapidity  with  which  changes  are 
taking  place  and  the  astonishing  percentage  of 
growth  in  missionary  progress  should  both  cheer 
and  encourage  us.  That  mighty  system  of  caste 
in  India,  which  hitherto  has  been  the  very  sym- 
bol of  inflexible  tenacity  and  inexorable  fixed- 
ness, is  already  tumbling  into  chaos.      Men  who 


342      FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

were  born  without  one  word  of  Scripture  in  their 
native  language  at  the  time  of  their  birth,  are 
already  reading  the  Word  of  God  in  their  own 
tongue.  In  the  English  political  papers  at  the 
present  time  there  are  solid  columns  of  matter 
about  Uganda  and  the  political  bearings  of  the 
problem  concerning  it  which  has  so  suddenly 
sprung  into  prominence,  but  in  an  unnoticed  cor- 
ner in  some  obscure  missionary  periodical  we  will 
perhaps  find  the  mention  of  a  fact  which  has  in 
it  more  of  significance,  more  of  hope,  more  of 
latent  energy,  and  more  of  the  magnificent  plans 
of  God,  than  all  the  political  changes  and  up- 
heavals that  are  just  now  stirring  that  little  king- 
dom in  the  depths  of  Africa.  It  is  the  fact  that 
the  New  Testament  is  ready  for  Uganda.  Listen 
to  the  description  of  its  reception  on  the  ground, 
penned  by  a  missionary  of  the  Church  Missionary 
Society,  the  22d  of  June  last.  ''Talk  about 
sieges,"  he  writes,  ''if  ever  there  was  a  siege  it 
was  yesterday,  and  this  morning  it  seems  likely 
to  be  renewed  tenfold.  I  mentioned  that  our 
canoes  had  come,  and  I  gave  out  on  Sunday  that 
the  Gospel  of  St.  Matthew  would  be  sold  Mon- 
day morning.     I  was  aroused  up  before  it  was 


THE  PRESENT  SUCCESS.  343 

light  by  the  roar  of  voices,  and  after  dressing 
hurriedly,  sallied  out  to  the — I  had  almost  said 
fight.  Close  to  my  house  is  a  slight  shed,  used 
for  the  cows  to  stand  in  in  the  heat  of  the  day. 
This  we  barricaded,  keeping  the  people  outside ; 
but  barricades  were  useless.  In  came  the  door, 
and  we  thought  the  whole  place  would  have 
fallen.  In  ten  minutes  all  the  hundred  Gospels 
were  sold."  Bishop  Tucker  writes  of  preaching 
to  an  audience  of  five  thousand  at  Mengo,  the 
capital  of  Uganda,  upon  Christmas  Day,  1892, 
which  was  a  Sabbath.  He  reports  the  desire  for 
the  purchase  of  Scriptures  as  so  great  that  it 
has  been  decided  to  offer  each  invoice  for  sale 
simultaneously  at  several  designated  localities. 
Twenty-five  years  ago  the  first  Christian  build- 
ing was  erected  in  Tokyo,  Japan ;  now  there  are 
ninety-two  Christian  churches  and  chapels.  In 
the  New  Hebrides,  within  the  lifetime  of  the 
venerable  Dr.  Paton,  whom  many  of  us  have  seen 
and  heard,  twenty-three  islands  of  the  New 
Hebrides  have  been  occupied.  The  Bible,  in 
whole  or  in  part,  has  been  translateci  into  fourteen 
different  languages,  and  fourteen  thousand  native 
converts    have    been  gathered    in.     The   merest 


344      FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

mention  of  startling  and  significant  facts  in  the 
history  of  missions  indicating  the  rapidity  with 
which  changes  are  taking  place,  and  the  headway 
which  this  work  is  gathering,  would  more  than 
occupy  the  solid  hour  of  a  lecture. 

We  have  no  time  left  to  speak  of  the  indirect 
results  of  mission  work,  so  interesting  and  sug- 
gestive, the  intellectual,  scientific,  and  commer- 
cial stimulus  they  have  given  to  the  world,  the 
place  they  occupy  as  a  factor  in  the  world's 
progress,  the  modifications  they  are  introducing 
into  the  manners  and  customs  of  heathen  nations, 
the  way  in  which  they  are  helping  to  stamp  out 
barbarism  and  cruelty  and  wrong,  the  aspirations 
they  are  kindling  in  the  religious  thought  of  our 
times,  the  checks  that  they  are  putting  upon  super- 
stition, the  restraints  which  they  are  placing  upon 
the  irresponsible  tyranny  of  hierarchical  religions, 
and  the  training  they  are  giving  to  native  races  in 
the  direction  of  better  government,  freer  life,  and 
higher  self-control. 

We  must  omit  also  all  but  the  most  cursory 
reference  to  these  indirect  results  as  revealed  in 
the  reflex  influence  of  missions  upon  the  spirit 
and    tone     of     the     Christianity    of    our    home 


THE  PRESENT  SUCCESS.  345 

churches.     What  a  lesson  have  they  given  us  in 
the  beauty  and  value  of  an  aggressive  union  of 
Christian   forces   for   the    upbuilding  of   Christ's 
kingdom!      What   riches   they  have   brought   to 
the  Church  of  Christ  even  in  the  present  genera- 
tion!     How  they  have  actually  lifted  Christianity 
to  a  height  of  aspiration  and  a  breadth  of  purpose 
and  a  plane  of  action  far  higher  than  it  occupied 
at  the  beginning  of  the  century !      What  a  heri- 
tage of  heroism  they  have  left  us !      Would  the 
Church  of  Christ  for  any  amount  of  yellow  gold 
sell  the  honor  of  this  century's  record  of  mission- 
ary heroism?     Is  it  little  to  the  Church  in  this 
age  of  the  world  that  she  can  point  to  her  Liv- 
ingstone dying  upon  his  knees  in  the  jungles  of 
Africa,   or  unfold  that  rough  mat  in  which  her 
Patteson  was  shrouded  as  his  martyred  body  was 
brought  back  to  the  ship,  and  point  to  his  five 
wounds,  no  more,  no  less?     Is  it  little  to  her  that 
so  many  have  died  for  Christ  and  truth  upon  mis- 
sion fields,  and  that  the  tramp  of  the  noble  army 
of  martyrs  still  rings  through  the  golden  streets? 
Is  it  little  to  her  that  she  has  upon  her  roll  that 
faithful   band   of   missionary   workers   who   have 
represented  her   in  many  lands?      Is  it  Httle  to 


346      FOREIGN  MISSIONS  AFTER  A  CENTURY. 

her  that  she  can  point  to  her  trophies  and  victo- 
ries which  have  grown  in  number  and  significance 
as  the  century  has  advanced  ?  Is  it  little  to  her 
that  she  can  refer  to  those  Pentecostal  seasons  in 
the  Pacific  Islands  and  in  India,  to  that  first  Sab- 
bath in  July,  1838,  when  1 705  souls  were  bap- 
tized in  the  Sandwich  Islands,  and  that  first 
Sabbath  in  July,  1878,  when  2222  were  baptized 
in  the  Telugu  Mission  in  India?  Is  it  little  to 
her  that  she  has  such  tokens  of  her  Lord's  pres- 
ence, such  assurances  of  His  benediction,  and  such 
promise  of  immortal  glory  through  the  advance- 
ment and  triumphs  of  His  kingdom  ?  Oh,  let 
the  Church  follow  hard  after  this  sublime  victory, 
and  press  on  prayerfully  and  eagerly  toward  this 
hallowed  goal. 


APPENDIX. 


A    SELECT    BIBLIOGRAPHY    OF    RECENT    LITERA- 
TURE ON   MISSIONS. 

(volumes  published  since  1890.) 


(A  full  bibliography  of  mission  literature  will  be  found  in  the  Encyclopedia 
of  Missions,  published  by  Funk  &  Wagnalls,  as  an  appendix  to  Volume  I, 
compiled  by  Rev.  Samuel  Macauley  Jackson,  LL.  D.,  assisted  by  Rev.  G.  W. 
Gilmore,  and  bringing  the  subject  down  to  the  close  of  1890.  A  similar  list, 
although  less  complete,  by  the  same  author,  will  be  foutid  at  the  conclusion 
of  Volume  I  of  the  Report  of  the  London  Missionary  Conference  of  1888, 
published  by  Fleming  H.  Revell  Company.  To  these  valuable  sources  of  in- 
formation the  student  is  referred,  as  the  list  here  given  is  intended  to  include, 
with  a  few  exceptions,  only  books  which  have  been  published  since  the  above 
lists  were  compiled.  This  will  account  for  the  omission  of  many  works  of 
standard  value. ) 


Contractions. 


L.  =  London. 
N.  Y.  =  New  York. 
P.  =  Philadelphia. 


C.  =  Chicago. 
B.  =  Boston. 
T.  =  Toronto. 


I.    HISTORICAL,  PHILOSOPHICAL,   AND   GENERAL. 


Atlas,  The  Ciiirch  Missionary. 
In  three  parts.  Part  I,  Africa;  Part 
II,  India;  Part  III,  Ceylon,  Mau- 
ritius, China,  Japan,  N.  W.  Amer- 
ica, and  North  Pacific  Missions. 
L. :  Church  Mission  House,  1892. 
5J.  each  part. 

Carey,  William.  An  Enquiry  into 
the  Obligations  of  Christians  to  use 
Means  for  the  Conversion  of  the 
Heathens.  Reprinted  in  facsimile. 
L. :  Hodder&  Stoughton,  1891.  io.y. 
bd. 

CusT,  R.  N.  Linguistic  and  Oriental 
Essays.  L.  :  Kegan  Paul,  Trench, 
Triibner  &  Co.,  1892.     '2\s. 

CusT,  R.  N.  Normal  Addresses  on 
Bible  Diffusion.  L  :  Elliot  Stock, 
1893. 

Dennis,Rev.  James  S.  Native  Agents 
and  Their  Training.    N.  Y. :  Chris- 


tian Literature  Co.,  13  Astor  Place, 

1892.  Paper,  pp.  37,  25  cts. 
Dennis,    Rev.   James   S.       Foreign 

Missions  after  a  Century  :  Lectures 
on  Missions,  delivered  at  Princeton 
Theological  Seminary,  1893.  N.  Y., 
C,  &  T.  :    Fleming  H.  Revell  Co., 

1893.  i2mo,  pp.  368,  $1.50. 
Gordon,  Rev.  A.  J.  -   The  Holy  Spirit 

in  Missions.  N.  Y.,  C,  &  T.  :  Flem- 
ing H.  Revell  Co.,  1893.    i2mo,  pp. 

233,  $i-2S- 

Gracey,  Lilly  Ryder.  Gist.  N.  Y. : 
Hunt  &  Eaton,  1893. 

Green,  Rev.  Ashbel.  Presbyterian 
Missions  from  1 741-1838.  With  Sup- 
plemental Notes  by  Rev.  John  C. 
I.owrie.  N.  Y. :  A.  D.  F.  Randolph 
&  Co.,  1893.     $2.00  net. 

Headland,  Emily.  Brief  Sketches  of 
C.  M.  S.  Missions.     In  three  parts. 


m 


348 


APPENDIX. 


Part  I,  Africa;  Part  IT,  India;  Part 
III,  Ceylon,  China,  Japan,  N.  W. 
America,  etc.  L. :  James  Nisbet  & 
Co.,  1890.     In  one  vol.,  3.^.  6d. 

Historical  Sketches.  Missions  of 
the  Presbyterian  Church  (North). 
P. :  W.  F.  M.  S.  of  Pres.  Ch.,  1334 
Chestnut  St.,  1891.    $1.00. 

HoDDER,  E.  Conquests  of  the  Cross. 
A  Record  of  Missionary  Work 
Throughout  the  World.  2  vols.  L.  : 
Cassell,  1890.    gs. 

HORSBURGH,    J.    HeYWOOD.       Do    Not 

Say;  or.  The  Church's  Excuses  for 
Neglecting  the  Heathen.  N.  Y., 
C,  &  T.  :    Fleming  H.  Revell  Co., 

1892.  Paper,  10  cts. 
Johnston,  Rev.  James.     A  Centurj'- 

of  Christian  Progress.  2d  edition. 
N.  Y.,  C,  &.  T. :  Fleming  H.  Revell 
Co.,  1890.   50  cts. 

Johnston,  Rev.  James.  Missionary 
Points  and  Pictures.  L.  :  Religious 
Tract  Society,  1892.  8vo,  is.  F.  H. 
Revell  Co.,  N.  Y.     i2mo,  50  cts. 

Jubilee  Memorial.  Edinburgh  Med- 
ical Mission.  Edinburgh  :  Scott  & 
Ferguson,  1892. 

Lamb,  Rev.  M.  T.  The  Great  Com- 
mission. Davenport,  Iowa:  Moss- 
mann  &  Vollmer,  1893.      40  cts. 

Leavens,  Rev.  Philo  F.  The  Plant- 
ing of  the  Kingdom.  N.  Y.  :A.D.  F. 
Randolph,  1891.   Pp.48, i2mo,4octs. 

Liggins,  Rev.  John.  The  Great 
Value  and  Success  of  Foreign  Mis- 
sions.    N.  Y.  :  Baker  &  Taylor  Co., 

1890.  Pp.  232,  35  cts. 

Lowe,  John,  F.  R.  C.  S.  E.  Medical 
Missions;  Their  Place  and  Power. 
N.  Y.,  C,  &  T.  :  Fleming  H.  Revell 
Co.  (3d  ed.),  1891.  i2mo,  pp.  308, 
$1.50. 

Missionary  Exercises.  No.  3,  for 
the  use  of  Sabbath-schools,  Mission 
Bands,  and  Christian  Endeavor  So- 
cieties.    P. :    Pres.   Board  of  Pub., 

1893.  Pp.  192,  30  cts. 

MuDGE,  Rev.  James.  The  Pastor's 
Missionary  Manual.  N.  Y.:  Miss. 
Soc.  M.  E.  Church,  150  Fifth  Ave., 

1891.  25  cts. 

Myers,  Rev.  John  Brov/n.  Cente- 
nary Volume  of  the  Baptist  Mission- 
ary' Society.  J  B.  ATyers,  editor,  with 
seven  special  contributors.  L. :  Bapt. 
Miss.  Soc,  21  Furnival  St.,  1892. 


Paterson,  Rev.  S.  R.  Gospel  Eth- 
nology. N.  Y.,  C,  &  T.:  Fleming 
H.  Revell  Co. ,  1891.     $1.00. 

PiERSON,  Rev.  Arthur  T.  The 
Divine  Enterprise  of  Missions.  N. 
Y. :  Baker&  Taylor  Co.,  1891.  i2mo, 
$1.25. 

Pierson,  Rev.  Arthur  T.  The 
Greatest  Work  in  the  World.  N. 
Y.,,C.,  &  T.:  FlemingH.  Revell  Co., 
1891.     35  cts. 

Pierson,  Rev.  Arthur  T.  The  Crisis 
of  Missions.  (New  ed.)  N.  Y., 
C,  &.  T.  :  Fleming  H.  Revell  Co., 
1891.     $1.25. 

Pierson,  Rev.  Arthur  T.  The 
Miracles  of  Missions.  N.  Y.:  Funk 
8c  Wagnalls,  1891.     35  cts. 

Rankin,  William.  Handbook  and 
Incidents  of  Foreign  Missions  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church,  U.  S.  A. 
Newark,  N.  J. :  W.  H.  Shurts, 
1892. 

Scott,  Rev.  T.  J.  Sparks  from  the 
Anvil  of  a  Busy  Missionary.  N.  Y.  : 
Methodist  Mission  House,  150  Fifth 
Avenue,  1891.     25  cts. 

Smith,  George.  Short  History  of 
Christian  Missions.  New  and  Re- 
vised Edition  ;  Handbook  for  Bible 
Classes.  Edinburgh :  T.  &  T. 
Clark,  1890.     2S.  6d. 

Somerville,  Rev.  A.  N.  Precious 
Seed  Sown  in  Many  Lands.  L.: 
Hodder  &  Stoughton,  1890.  Pp. 
332,  8vo,  5J. 

Strong,  Rev.  Josiah.  The  New 
Era;  or, The  Coming  Kingdom.  N. 
Y.  :  Baker  &  Taylor  Co.,  1893. 
Cloth,  75  cts. 

Titterington,  Mrs.  S.  B.  A  Cen- 
tury of  Baptist  Missions,  P.  :  Amer- 
ican Baptist  Publishing  Society,  1420 
Chestnut  St.,  1892. 

Todd,  Rev.  Elbert  S.  Christian 
Missions  in  the  Nineteenth  Century. 
N.  Y.  :  Hunt  &  Eaton,  1890.  Pp. 
T71,  i2mo,  75  cts. 

Warneck,  Dr.  Gustav.  Evangel- 
ische  Missionslehre ;  Ein  Missions- 
theoretischer  Versuch.  ite  Abth. 
Gotha:   Fr.  Andr.  Perthes,  1892. 

Young,  Robert.  The  Success  of 
Christian  Missions:  Testimonies  to 
their  Beneficent  Results.  L.: 
Hodder  &  Stoughton,  1890.  8vo,  pp. 
270,  5f. 


APPENDIX. 


349 


II.     BIOGRAPHICAL. 


Bryson,  Mrs.  Mary  I.  John  Ken- 
neth Mackenzie,  Medical  Missionary 
to  China.  N.  Y.,  C,  &  T.:  Fleming 
H.  Revell  Co.,  1891.  8vo,  pp.  412, 
$1.50. 

GiLMOUR,  James,  of  Mongolia:  His 
Diaries,  Letters,  and  Reports.  Edited 
by  Richard  Lovett,  M.A.  N.  Y., 
C,  &  T.  :  Fleming  H.  Revell  Co., 
1892.     $1.75. 

Hamlin,  Rev.  Cyrus.  My  Life  and 
Times.  B.  :  Congregational  Pub. 
Society,  1893.     (In  press.) 

Hardy,  Arthur  Sherburne.  The 
Life  and  Letters  of  Joseph  Hardy 
Neesima.  B.  &  N.  Y. :  Houghton, 
Mifflin  &  Co.,  1891.     $2.00. 

Haydn,  Rev.  H.  C.  American  Heroes 
on  Mission  Fields,  (ist  series.)  Brief 
Missionary  Biographies.  N.  Y.  : 
American  Tract  Society,  1890.  $1.25. 
(2d  series  in  press.) 

Kennedy,  James.  Biography  of 
Margaret  Stephen  Kennedy.  L. : 
James  Nisbet  &  Co.,  1892.    8vo,  6s. 

Lapsley,  Rev.  S.  N.  Memoir  of  the 
late  Mr.  S.  N.  Lapsley,  American 
Presbyterian  INIissionary  in  the 
Congo  Valley.  Richmond,  Va.  : 
Whittet  &  Shepperson,  1893. 

Laurie,  Rev.  Thos.  Woman  and 
the  Gospel  in  Persia.  Memoirs  of 
Miss  F.  Fiske.  N.  Y.,  C,  &  T.  : 
F.  H.  Revell  Co.,  1892.  Pp.  100, 
30  cts. 

Mackay.  Pioneer  Missionary  of  the 
Church  to  Uganda.  By  his  sister. 
L. :  Hodder  &  Stoughton,  1S90. 
Pp.  450,  8vo,  7.y.  6d.  N.  Y. :  A.  C. 
Armstrong  &  Son.     $1.50. 

Mackay  of  Uganda,  The  Story  of 
the  Life  of.  Told  for  Boys.  By  his 
Sister.  L. :  Hodder  &  Stoughton, 
1892.  8vo,  5.y.  N.  Y.  :  A  C.  Arm- 
strong &  Son.     $1.50. 

Missionary  Annals.  A  series  pub- 
lished by  the  Woman's  Presbyterian 
Board  of  Missions  of  the  Northwest. 


C.  :  Room  48,  McCormick  Block, 
1892.  Cloth,  per  vol.  30  cts.  N.  Y., 
C,  &  T. :  Fleming  H.  Revell  Co. 

Missionary  Heroes.  A  series  pub- 
lished by  the  Woman's  Board  of 
Foreign  Missions.  N.  Y. :  53  Fifth 
Ave.     1892. 

Paton,  John  G.  Missionary  to  the 
New  Hebrides.  2  vols.,  illustrated. 
N.  Y.,  C,  &  T.  :  Fleming  H.  Revell 
Co.,  1892.     i2mo,  $2.00  net. 

Paton,  Rev.  James.  The  Story  of 
John  G.  Paton.  Told  for  Young 
Folks      L. ;    Hodder  &  Stoughton, 

1892.  8vo,  ss-  N.  Y.  :  A.  C. 
Armstrong  &  Son.     $1.50. 

Popular  Missionary  Biographies. 
(A  series.)  N.  Y.,  C,  &  T.  :  Flem- 
ing H.  Revell  Co.,  1891-93.  i2mo, 
pp.   160,  75  cts. 

Porter,  Eliza  Chappell.  A  Mem- 
oir. By  Mary  H.  Porter.  N.  Y., 
C,  &  T.  :  Fleming  H.  Revell  Co. 
$1.75  net. 

Ranney,  Miss  Ruth  W.  Lives  and 
Missionary  Labors  of  Rev.  and  Mrs. 
Cephas  Bennett.  B.,  N.  Y.,  &  C. : 
Silver,  Burdett  &  Co.,  1892.     $1.00. 

Robertson,  Rev.  William.  The 
Martyrs  of  Blantyre  —  Henry  Hen- 
derson, Dr.  John  Bowie,  Robert 
Cleland.  2d  edition.  L, :  James 
Nisbet  &  Co.,  1892.     8vo,  is.  6d. 

RowE,  Rev.  G.  Stringer.  James 
Calvert  of  Fiji.     L. :  C.  H.  Kelly, 

1893.  3J.  6d. 

Smith,  Mrs.  Amanda.  An  Autobiog- 
raphy and  Account  of  Her  Work 
as  an  Independent  Missionaiy.  In- 
troduction by  Bishop  Thoburn  of 
India.     C. :   Myer  &  Bro.,  1892. 

Smith,  George.  Henry  Martyn, 
Saintand  Scholar.  N.  Y.,  C,  &T.  : 
Fleming  H.  Revell  Co.,  1892.  $3.00. 

Vermilyea,  Elizabeth  B.  The  Life 
of  Alexander  Duff.  Woman's  Pres. 
Board  Missions  of  the  Northwest. 
C.  :  1891.     Pp.  123,  8vo,  30  cts. 


III.     LITERATURE  ON    SPECIAL  FIELDS. 

(Some  of  the  volumes  inserted  in  this  list  refer  only  casually  to  Missions,  but 
give  instructive  and  vivid  descriptions  of  Mission  fields.) 


AFRICA. 

Arnot,  F.  S.     Bihe  and  Garenganze. 
L. :    J.   E.  Hawkins  &  Co.,  1893. 


N.  Y.,  C,  &  T.  :  Fleming  H.  Revell 
Co.     70  cts. 
Campbell,  Belle  McPhhrson.  Mad- 
agascar.      C.  :    Woman's    Presby- 


350 


APPENDIX. 


terian  Board  of  Missions  of  the 
Northwest,  Room  48,  McCormick 
Block.     30  cts. 

CusT,  Robert  Needham.  Africa 
Rediviva;  or,  The  Occupation  of 
Africa  by  Christian  ]\lissiunanes  of 
Europe  and  North  Amenca.  L.  : 
Elliot  Stock,  189'. 

Drummond,  H.  Tropical  Africa. 
With  introduction  replying  to  Mr. 
Stanley.  N.  Y.  :  Scribners,  1891. 
i2mo,  $1.00. 

Eastern  Equatorial  Africa  Mis- 
sion of  the  Church  Missionary  So- 
ciety. 1837-1891.  L.  :  Church 
Mission  House,  Salisbury  Sq.    6d. 

Guinness,  Mrs.  H.  G.  On  the 
Congo.  L.  :  Hodder  &  Stoughton, 
1890.  N.  Y.,C.,&T. :  Fleming  H. 
Revell  Co.     50  cts. 

HoRE,  Capt.  E  C.  Tanganj'ika.  L.  : 
Stanford,  1892.     8vo,  -js.  6d. 

Hughes,  Rev.  \V.  Dnrk  Africa  and 
the  Way  Out.  L. :  Sampson  Low, 
Marston  Sa  Co.    1893. 

Johnston,  Ivicv  Ja.mes.  Missionary 
Landscapes  in  the  Daik  Continent. 
N.  Y.  :  Randolph  &  Co.,  1892. 
i2mo,  pp.  264. 

Keltie,  J.  Scott.  The  Partition  of 
Africa.  L. :  Edward  Stanford,  26 
and  27  Cockspur  St.,  Charing  Cross, 
S.  W.,  1893. 

Livingstonia  Mission  of  the  Free 
Church  of  Scotland  in  Nyassa-land. 
Glasgow,  1891.     Svo,  pp.  36. 

Macdonald,  Rev.  James.  Light  in 
Africa.     L.  :   Hodder  &  Stoughton, 

1890.  Pp.  264,  8vo,  6s. 

MoiR,  Jane  F.  A  Lady's  Letters 
from  Central  Africa.  With  an  in- 
troduction by  Rev.  T.  M.  Lindsay, 
D.D.      N.  Y.  :    Macmillan   &   Co., 

1891.  i2mo,  pp.  91. 

Peters,  Dr.  Carl.  New  Light  upon 
Dark  Africa.  L.  :  Ward  &  Lock, 
1891.     8vo,  pp.  600,  1.6s. 

Pictorial  Africa.  Its  Heroes,  Mis- 
sionaries, and  Martyrs.  N.  Y.,C.,& 
T. :  Fleming  H.  Revell  Co.,  1890. 
$2.50. 

PiNNOCK,  Rev.  Samuel  G.,  Baptist 
Missionary  in  Western  Africa.  The 
Yoruba  Country :  Its  People,  Cus- 
toms, and  Missions.  L. :  Joyful 
News  Book  Depot,  152  Fleet  St., 
1893.     6d. 

Pruen,  S.  T.  The  Arab  and  the 
African  :  Experiences  in  East  Equa- 
torial Afrif-n  During  a  Residence  of 
Three  Years.  L.  :  Seeley,  1891. 
Pp.  320,  Svo,  ds. 


Smith,  Rev.  G.  Furness.  Uganda: 
Its  Story  and  Its  Claim.  L. :  Church 
Mission  House,  1801. 

Stanley,  Henry  M.  Slavery  and 
the  Slave  Trade  in  Africa.  N.  Y.: 
Harper  Bros.,  1893.  Pp.  86,  32mo, 
50  cts. 

Stock,  Sarah  Geraldine.  The 
Story  of  Uganda.  N.  Y.,  C,  &  T.  : 
Fleming  H.  Revell  Co.,  1892.   $1.25. 

TowNSEND,  William  J.  Madagascar : 
Its  Missionaries  and  Martyrs.  N. 
Y.,  C,  &  T.  :  Fleming  H.  Revell 
Co.     12010,  75  cts. 

Tucker,  Bishop.  Uganda  and  the 
Way  Thither.  L. :  Church  Mission 
House,  1892.     2S. 

Tyler,  Rev.  Josiah.  Forty  Years 
Among  the,ZuIus.  B.  &C.:  Congre- 
gational Publishing  Society,  1891. 

White,  A.  S.  The  Development  of 
Africa.  L.  :  Philip  &  Son,  1891. 
Svo. 

Wingate,  Major  F.  R.  Ten  Years' 
Captivity  in  the  Mahdi's  Camp.  L. : 
Sampson  Low,  Marston  &  Co.,  1892. 
Svo,  pp.  450. 

Youvg,  Robert.  Trophies  from 
African  Heathenism.  L.  :  Hodder 
&  Stoughton,  1893. 

CHINA. 

FiELDE,  Adele  M.  Pagoda  Shadows. 
L.  :  T.  Ogilvie  Smith,  iSgi. 

GiLMOUR,  James.  More  About  the 
Mongols.  L.  :  Religious  Tract  So- 
ciety, 1893.  5^.  N.  Y.,  C,  &  T.  : 
Fleming  H.  Revell  Co,     $1.75. 

Guinness,  Geraldine.  In  the  Far 
East.  Letters  from  China.  N.  Y., 
C,  &  T.  :  Fleming  H.  Revell  Co., 
1891.     Quarto,  pp.  191,  $1.50. 

Guinness,  Geraldine.  The  Story 
of  the  China  Inland  Mission.  L.  : 
Morgan  &  Scott,  1893. 

Morris,  Rev.  T.  M.  A  Winter  in 
North  China.  N.  Y.,  C,  &  T.  : 
Fleming  H.  Revell  Co.,  1892.   $1.50. 

Moule,  Archdeacon  A.  E.  New 
China  and  Old.  L. :  Seeley,  1891. 
Svo,  pp.  310,  -js.  td. 

Moule,  Archdeacon  A.  E.  The 
Glorious  Land.  L. :  Church  Mission 
House,  1891.     li' 

Nevius,  Rev.  J.  L.  Demon  Pos- 
session To-day,  and  Kindred  Phe- 
nomena. N.  Y. ,  C,  &  T. :  Fleming 
H.  Revell  Co.,  1893.    i2mo,  $1.50. 

Reid.  Rev.  Gilbert.  Glances  at 
China.  N.  Y.,  C,  &  T. :  Fleming 
H.  Revell  Co.,  1892.     80  cts. 


APPENDIX. 


351 


Smith,  Rev.  Arthur  H.  Chinese 
Characteristics.  Third  edition,  re- 
vised, with  illustrations.  N.  Y.,  C, 
&T.  :  Fleming  H.  RevellCo.,  1895. 
8vo,  cloth,  $2.00. 

INDIA. 

Bailey,  Wkllesley  C.  The  Lepers 
of  our  Indian  Empire.  L.  :  John 
F.  Shaw  &  Co.,  1892. 

Barrett,  Rev.  R.  N.  The  Child  of 
the  Ganges.  A  Tale  of  the  Judson 
Mission.  N.  Y.,  C,  &  T.  :  Fleming 
H.  Revell  Co.,  1892.  i2mo,  pp.  254, 
$1.25. 

DicKEN,  Rev.  W.  H.  Jackson.  The 
.Story  of  Muttalakshmi.  L. :  Charles 
H.  Kelly,  1893. 

DowNiE,  Rev.  David.  The  History 
of  the  Telugu  Mission.  P.  :  Ameri- 
can Bap.  Pub.  Soc,  1420  Chestnut 
St.,  1893. 

Droese,  Miss.  Indian  Gems  for  the 
Master's  Crown.  L. :  Religious 
Tract  Society,  1893.  N.  Y.,  C,  & 
T. :  F.  H.  Revell  Co.     80  cts. 

E'VEN.  Rev.  J.  India :  Sketches  and 
Stories  of  Native  Life.  L.  :  Elliot 
Stock,  1892, 

Fallon,  Miss.  Premi:  The  Story  of 
a  Hindu  Girl.  With  introduction 
by  Sir  M.  Monier- Williams.  L. :  J. 
Nisbet  &  Co.,  1892.     i6mo,  is. 

GORDON-CUMMING,    MiSS  C.    F.       TwO 

Happy  Years  in  Ceylon.  2  vols. 
L.  :  William  Blackwood  &  Sons, 
1892.     8vo,  30.S 

Hunter,  Sir  W.  W.  Brief  History 
of  the  Indian  Peoples.  Oxford : 
The  Clarendon  Press,  1892.  N.  Y. : 
Macmillan  &  Co. 

Hurst,  Bishop  J.  F.  Indika.  N.Y.  : 
Harper  Bros.,  1891.     $3.75. 

Knox,  Rev.  M.  V.  B  A  Winter  in 
India  and  Malaysia  Among  the 
Methodist  Missions.  N.  Y.  :  Hunt 
&  Eaton,  1891.      Fp.  308,  $1.20. 

Maxwell,  Mrs.  Ellen  Blackmar. 
I'lie  Bishop's  Conversion.  N.  Y.  : 
Hunt  &  Eaton,  1892.     $1.50. 

MfiLLER,  F.  Max.  India :  What  Can 
it  Teach  Us?  Lectures  before  the 
University  of  Cambridge.  N.  Y. : 
Longmans,  Green  &  Co.,  1892. 
$1.25. 

Murray,  J.  Ross.  Hindu  Pastors. 
L. :  John  Heywood,  1893. 

Padmanji,    Baba.       Once    Hindu  — 
Now   Christian.     L.  ;    J.    Nisbet  & 
Co.,  1891.    N.  Y.,  C,  &  T.  :  F.  H.  I 
Revell  Co.     75  cts.  j 


Serampore  Letters.  Correspond- 
ence of  William  Carey  and  others 
with  John  Williams.  N.  Y.  &  L.  : 
G.  P.  Putnam's  Sons,  1892.  Pp.  150. 

Small,  A.  W.  Light  and  Shade  in 
Zenana  Missionary  Life.  Paisky: 
Parlane,  1891.     i6mo,  is. 

Thoburn,  Bishop  J.  M.  India  and 
Malaysia.  N.  Y.":  Hunt  &  Eaton, 
1892.     $2.00. 

Whyripkr,  E.  Every-day  Life  in  South 
India ;  or,  The  Story  of  Coopooswa- 
mey.  N  Y.,  C,  &  T. :  Fleming 
H.  Revell  Co.,  1891.  Pp.  256,  i2mo, 
$1.00. 

W1LKIN.S,  W.  J.  Breaking  His  Fetters. 
L.  :  Religious  Tract  Society,  1893. 
N.  Y.,  C,  &T.  :  Fleming  H.  Revell 
Co.     $1.25. 

JAPAN. 

!  B.\tchelor,  Rev.  John.     The  Ainu 
I      of  Japan.     N.  Y.,  C,  &  T.  :  Flem- 
!      ing  H.  Revell  Co.,  1892.     $1.50. 
j  Bicker.steth,  Miss  M.      Japan  As 
I      We  Saw  It.     L.  :  Longmans,  Green 

&  Co.,  1893.     2i.y. 
Chamberlain,  Basil  Hall,  and  W. 

A.  Mason.      Handbook  for  Japan. 

L.  :   John   Murray   (third   edition), 
j      1891. 

j  De   Forest,   Rev.   J.   H.     A    Brief 
I      Survey  of  Christian  Work  in  Japan, 

1892.    Yokohama,  Japan :   F.  Stani- 
j      land,  70  Main  St.,  1893. 
t  Gordon.  Rev.  M.  L.     An  American 

Missionary  in  Japan.      B.  &  N.  Y. : 
I      Houghton,     Mifflin    &    Co.,    1892. 

$1.25. 
Griffis,  William  Elliot.  Japan  :  In 

Bistorv,  Folk-lore,  and  Art.     B.  & 

N.    Y.':  Houghton,   Mifflin  &  Co., 

1892.     i6mo,  75  cts. 
Stock,  Eugene.     Japan  and  the  Ja- 
pan Mission.     L. :  Church  Mission 

House,  1 89 1.     3.y.  6d. 

VARIOUS  OTHER   FIELDS. 

Bishop,  Mrs.  (Isabella  L.  Bird.) 
Journeys  in  Persia  and  Kurdistan. 
2  vols.  N.  Y.  &  L.  :  G.  P.  Put- 
nam's Sons,  1891.     $6.50. 

Butler,  Rev.  William.  Mexico  in 
Transition.  N.  Y.  :  Hunt  &  Eaton, 
1892. 

Chapman,  Rev.  M.  B.  Lands  of  the 
Oiient. 

Cobb,  Rev.  Henry  N.  Far  Hence. 
A    Budget    of    Letters    from    our 


352 


APPENDIX. 


Mission  Fields  in  Asia.  N.  Y. : 
W.  B.  F.  M,  Ref.  Ch.,  25  East 
22d  Street. 

Cousins,  George.  From  Island  to 
Island  in  the  South  Seas.  L.  : 
Lond.  Miss.  Soc,  14  Blomfield  St., 
1893. 

Clrzox,  George  N.  Persia  and  the 
Persian  Question,  2  vols.  L.  &  N. 
Y.  :  Longmans,  Green  &  Co.,  1891. 
Bvo,  $12.00. 

G1L.M0RE,  Rev.  George  W.  Korea 
from  Its  Capital.  P.  :  Presbyterian 
lioard  Publication,  1334  Chestnut 
St.,  1892.     $1.25. 

Grlbb,  G.  C.  What  Hath  God 
Wrought  ?  An  Account  of  a  Mis- 
sion Tour  in  Ceylon,  South  India, 
Australia,  New  Zealand,  and  Cape 
Colony.  L. :  Marlborough,  1891. 
Pp.  390,  8vo,  45'. 

Hallett,  Holt  S.  A  Thousand 
Miles  on  an  Elephant  in  the  Shan 
States.  L.  :  Blackwood  &  Sons, 
i8go. 

Mabie,  Rev.  Henry  C.  In  Brightest 
Asia.  4th  edition.  B.  :  W.  G. 
Corthell,  1892. 

Maclean,  Arthur  John  and  Wil- 
liam Henry  Browne.  TheCatho- 
licos  of  the  East  and  His  People. 
L. :  S.  P.  C.  K.  5^.  N,  Y. :  E.  & 
J.  B.  Young  &  Co.,  1892. 

March,  Rev.  Daniel.  Morning 
Light  In  Many  Lands  B.  &  C.  : 
Congregational  S.  S.  and  Pub.  Soc, 
1891. 

!\Iichelsen,  O.  Cannibals  Won  for 
Christ.  A  Story  of  Missionary  Per- 
ils and  Triumphs  in  Tongoa,  New 
Hebrides.  L.  :  Morgan  &  Scott, 
1893.     Pp.  200,  8vo,  IS.  6d. 

MuTCHMORE,  Rev.  S.  A.  The  Mo- 
ghul,  Mongol,  Mikado,  and  Mis- 
sionary. N.  Y.  :  Ward  &  Drum- 
mond,  1891.  2  vols.,  pp.  553,  pp. 
325,  i2mo,  $2.50. 

Outline  Missionary  Series.  A 
series  of  sixpenny  manuals  on  the 
various  Mission  Fields  of  the  world, 
prepared  by  authors  thoroughly  con- 
versant with  their  respective  sub- 
jects, and  embracing  the  missions 
of  all  denominations.  L.  :  John 
Snow  &  Co.,  2  Ivy  Lane,  Paternoster 
Row.  N.  Y.,  C,  &  T. :  Fleming 
H.  Revell  Co.    Each  20  cts. 


The  following  are  ready  : 
Madagascar.      Country,      People, 
Missions  (with  Map).     By  Rev.  J. 
Sibree. 

Indian  Zenana  Missions.  Their 
Origin,  Agents,  Modes  of  Working, 
and  Results.  By  Mrs.  E.  R.  Pit- 
man, author  of  "Heroines  of  the 
Mission  Field." 

China.  Country',  People,  Religious 
Systems,  Christian  Missions  (with 
Map).  By  Rev.  J.  T.  Gracey. 
Polynesia.  Islands,  Races,  Mis- 
sions (with  Map).  By  Rev.  S.  J. 
Whitmee. 

South  Africa.  Countrj',  People, 
European  Colonization,  Christian 
Missions  (with  Map).  By  Rev.  J. 
Sibree. 

Female  Missions  in  Eastern 
Lands.  Fields  of  Labor,  Mission 
Work,  Agencies.  By  Mrs.  E.  R. 
Pitman. 

India.  (In  two  parts.)  Country, 
People,  History,  Manners,  and  Cus- 
toms; Hinduism;  History  of 
Christianity,  Obstacles,  and  Hin- 
drances ;  Forms  of  Labor,  Results. 
By  Rev.  E.  Storrow. 
The  West  Indies.  Islands,  Abo- 
rigines, and  European  Colonization ; 
Negro  Life,  Slavery,  and  Emanci- 
pation ;  christian  INIissions.  By 
Mrs.  E.  R.  Pitman. 
Medical  Missions.  By  Rev.  John 
Lowe. 

Outline  Missionary  Series.  By 
Rev.  J .  T.  Gracey.  Rochester,  N.  Y. : 
Scran  ton,  Wetmore  &  Co.  N.  Y., 
C,  &  T.  :  Fleming  H.  Revell  Co. 
(India,  pp.  212,  50 cts.  ;  China,  pp. 
64,  15  cts.;  Open  Doors,  pp.  64, 
15  cts.) 

Rock  hill,  W.  W.     The  Land  of  the 
Lamas.   Notes  of  a  Journey  Through . 
China,   Mongolia,    and  Thibet.     L. 
&  N.  Y. :  Longmans,  Green  &  Co., 
1892. 

Schneider,  H.  G.  Working  and 
Waiting  for  Thibet.  L. :  Morgan  & 
Scott,  1891. 

Thwing,  Rev.  Edward  P.  Ex  Ori- 
ente:  Studies  of  (^liental  Life  and 
Thought.  L. :  S.  W.  Partridge  & 
Co.,  1892. 

Winston,  W.  R.  Four  Years  in  Up- 
per Burma.   L. :  C.  H.  Kelly,  1892, 


APPENDIX. 


353 


IV.     LITERATURE   OF   COMPARATIVE    RELIGION. 


Bettany,   G.   T.      Mohammedanism 
and  Other  Religions  of  Mediterra- 
nean Countries.    L.  &  N.  Y. :  Ward, 
Lock,  Bowden  &  Co.,  1892.     $1.00. 
Bettany,  G.  T.     The  Great   Indian 
Religions.     L.    &    N.    Y. :      Ward, 
Lock,  Bowden  &  Co.,   1892.  $1.00. 
Bettany,    G.  T.     The   World's   Re- 
ligions.    N.    Y.  :    Christian  Litera- 
ture Co.,  13  Astor  Place,  1891.    Pp. 
896,  Svo,  $5.00. 
Bi-o\vxE,  Edward  G.     A  Traveler's 
Narrative  Written  to  Illustrate  the 
Episode  of  the  Bab.     2  vols.     Cam- 
bridge, Eng. :  University  Press,  1891. 
CoDRiNGTON,  Rev.  R.  H.     The  Me- 
lancsians:  Studies  of  their  Anthro- 
pology    and     Folk-lore.       Oxford : 
Clarendon  Press,  1891.     N.Y.:  Mac- 
millan  &  Co.     $4.00. 

C'iPLESTON,  Rev.  R.  S.  Buddhism, 
Primitive  and  Present,  in  Magadha 
and  Ceylon.  L.  &  N.  Y.  :  Long- 
mans, Green  &  Co.,  1892.     $5.00. 

De  La  Saussaye,  P.  D.  Chantepie. 
Manual  of  the  Science  of  Religion. 
L.  &  N.  Y.  :  Longmans,  Green  ti 
Co.,  1891.     $3  50. 

DoDS,  Rev.  Marcus.  Mohammed, 
Buddha,  and  Christ.  7th  edition. 
L.  :  Hoddcr  &  Stoughton,  1893.  N. 
Y. :  Thomas  Whittaker.     $1.50. 

Edkins,  Rev.  Joseph.  The  Early 
Spread  of  Religious  Ideas,  Especial- 
ly in  the  Far  East.  L. :  Relig.  Tract 
Soc.  N.  Y.  &  C.  :  Fleming  H. 
Revell  Co.,  1893.     $1.20. 

Ellinwood,  Rev.  F.  F.  Oriental 
Religions  and  Christianity.  N.  Y.: 
Chas.  Scribner's  Sons,  1892.    $1.75. 

Jessup,  Rev.  Henry  H.  The  Greek 
Church  and  Protestant  Missions:  or, 
Missions  to  the  Oriental  Churches. 
N.  Y.:  Christian  Literature  Co.,  13 
Astor  Place,  1891.  Paper,  pp.  40, 
25  cts. 

Kellogg,  Rev.  S.  H.  The  Genesis 
and  Growth  of  Religion.  L.  &  N. 
Y.  :  Macmillan  &  Co.,  1892.    $1.50. 

Lane,  Rev.  Edward  W.  Selections 
from  the  Koran.  L.:  Kegan  Paul, 
Trench,  Trubner  &  Co.,  1890.  8vo, 
9J. 

Lane-Poole,  Stanley.  Studies  in  a 
Mosque.  L.  and  Sydney:  Eden, 
Remington  &;Co.,  1893. 

Lyall,  Sir  Alfred.  Natural  Religion 


I      in  India.     The  Reed  Lectures,  1891. 
Cambridge,  Eng. :  University  Press, 

1891.  N.    Y.  :    Macmillan   &  Co. 
I      75  cts. 

MacDonald,  Rev.  James.     Religion 
i      and  Myth.    N.  Y. :  Chas.  Scribner's 

Sons,  1893.     $2.25. 
I  Matheson,     Rev.     George.      The 

Distinctive    Messages    of   the    Old 
I      Religions.      N.  Y.  :  A.  D.  F.  Ran- 
I      dolph  &  Co.,  1892. 
MuiR,  Sir  William.    The  Caliphate: 

Its   Rise,    Dechne,   and   Fall.     L.  : 

Religious   Tract   Societv,  1891.     N. 

Y.,  C.  &  T. :    Fleming   H.  Revell 

Co.     $4.20. 
Mi-LLEK,   F.  Max.      Anthropological 

Religion.      Gifford   Lectures  before 

University  of  Glasgow  in  1891.     L. 

&  N.  Y. :  Longmans,  Green  &  Co., 

1892.  Svo,  $3.00. 

NoLDEKE,  ThewDOR.    Sketches  from 
Eastern  History.     L.  and  Edinburgh: 
Adam  &  Charies  Black,  1892. 
Non-Biblical  Systems  of  Religion. 
A  symposium  by  Farrar,  Rawlinson, 
Wright,     and    others.      Cincinnati: 
Cranston  &  Curts,  1893.    CI.,  90  cts. 
Non-Christian   Religions   of   the 
World.     Special  Volume  of  Pres- 
ent-Day  Tracts.     N.  Y.,  C,  &  T.  : 
Fleming  H.  Revell  Co.,  1891.    1  vol., 
$1.00.     Rise  and   Decline  of  Islam. 
By  Sir  Williain  Muir.     Christianity 
and  Confucianism  Compared  in  their 
Teaching   of  the   Whole    Duty    of 
Man.     By  Prof.  James  Legge.  The 
Zend-Avesta  and  the  Religion  of  the 
Parsis.   By  Rev.  J.  Murray  Mitchell, 
The    Hindu    Religion.       By    Rev. 
J.  Murray  Mitchell.     Buddhism  :  A 
Comparison  and  a  Contrast  Between 
Buddhism    and    Christianity.        By 
Rev.     Henry       Robert     Reynolds. 
Christianity  and  Ancient  Paganism. 
By  Rev.  J.  Murray  Mitchell. 
Pool,  John  J.     Studies  in    Moham- 
medanism.   L. :  Archibald  Constable 
&  Co.,  1892. 
Rae,    George   Milne.     The   Syrian 
Church  in  India.   L.  :  William  Black- 
wood &  Sons,  1891.    Svo,  loj.  6d. 
Religious  Systems  of  the  World. 
A  contribution  to  the  study  of  com- 
parative religion.    Addresses  by  rep- 
resentative scholars.     N.  Y.  :   Mac- 
millan &  Co.,  1891.     Svo,  $4.50. 


354 


APPENDIX. 


RoBSON,  Rev.  John.  Hinduism  and 
Christianity.  Edinburgh  and  L.  : 
Oliphant  Anderson  &  Ferrier,  1893. 

Scott,  Rev.  Archibald.  Buddhism 
and  Christianity :  A  Parallel  and 
a  Contrast.  The  Croall  Lee  urcs 
for    1889-90.      L.  :    Simpkin,    1891. 

Sweet  First-Fruits.     A  Tale  of  the 


Nineteenth  Century  on  the  Truth 
and  Virtue  of  the  Christian  Religion. 
(Translated  from  the  Arabic  by  Sir 
Wni.  Muir.)  L.  :  Religious  Tract 
Society,  1893.  N.  Y.,  C,  &  T.  : 
Fleming  H.  Revell  Co.  $i.oo. 
Williams,  Sir  M.  Monier.  Indian 
Wisdom.  (New  ed.)  L.:  Luzac  & 
Co.,  1893.     21J. 


V.     PERIODICAL  LITERATURE. 

(The  missionary  periodicals  have  increased  i-apidly  in  number  and  volume. 
They  contain  a  large  amount  of  fresh  and  valuable  matter,  including  direct  cor- 
respondence from  the  fields,  recent  incidents  and  statistics,  and  also  many  able 
and  timely  discussions  of  living  questions.  The  following  is  a  representative 
list  of  the  more  important  issues. ) 


The  Missionary  Review    of    the 

World.     N.  Y.:  Funk  &  Wagnrdls, 

18  &  20  Astor  Place. 
The  Church  at  Home  and  Abroad 

(Pres     Ch.    in    U.    S.    A.).      P.: 

1334  Chestnut  street. 
Woman's  Work  for  Woman  (Pres. 

Ch.  in  U.  S.  A.).     N.  Y. :   53  Fifth 

Avenue. 
The  Missionafy  (Pres.  Ch.,  South). 

Nashville,  Tenn. 
Herald    of    Mission    News    (Ref. 

Pres.    Ch.  in  N.  A. —  Covenanter). 

N.  Y.  :  325  West  56th  street. 
Missionary    Record   (Cumb.    Pres. 

Ch.).  St.  Louis,  Missouri:  904  Olive 

street. 
Missionary  Reports  (U.  P.  Ch.  in 

U.  S.).     P.  :   136  N.  18th  street. 
Mission  Field  (Ref  [Dutch]  Ch.  in 

America).       N.    Y. :    25   East  22d 

street. 
Mission   Gleaner  (Woman's  Board 

Ref  [Dutch]  Ch.  in  America).     N. 

Y.  :  25  East  22d  street. 
The  Missionary  Herald  (A.  B.  C. 

F.  M.).  B. :  Congregational  House, 

I  Somerset  street. 
Life  and  Light  (Woman's  Board  of 

Cong.  Ch.).  B. :  No.  i  Cong.  House. 
The  Gospel  in  All  Lands  (M.  E. 

Ch.).     N.  Y.  :  Hunt  &  Eaton. 
World-wide     Missions      (M.      E. 

("hurch).      N.  Y. :    Methodist  Mis- 
sion Rooms,  150  Fifth  Avenue. 
Heathen  Woman'sFriend(  Woman's 

For.   Miss.   Soc.  M.   E.  Ch.).     B.  : 

36  Bromfield  street. 
MiF.siONARY  Reporter  (M.  E.  Ch., 

South).     Nashville,  Tenn. 


The  Baptist  Missionary  Magazine 

(.■\mer.    Bapt.    Miss.   Union).     B.  : 

2A  Beacon  street. 
Helping  Hand  (Woman's  Bapt.  For. 

Miss.  Sue,  North).    B.  :  2A  Beacon 

street. 
Spirit  of  Missions  (P.  E.  Ch.  in  U. 

S.).     N.  Y. :  Fourth  Ave.  &  22d  St. 
The     Missionary    Journal    (Gen. 

Synod  Evan.  Luth.  Ch.  in  U.  S.  A.). 

Baltimore,  Md.  :    1005  W.  Lanvale 

street. 
The  Missionary  Messenger  (Gen. 

Council    Evan.     Luth.    Ch.).      P.: 

1009  S.  Fourth  street. 
The    Missionary    Link    (Woman's 

Union  Miss.  Soc.  of  America).     N. 

Y.  :  41  Bible  House. 
The  Student  Volunteer.     C  ;  80 

Institute  Place. 
Liberia  (Amer.  Col.  Soc).    Washing- 
ton,   D.   C. :  Colonization  Building, 

450  Penn.  Avenue. 
The   African   News.     N.   Y  :    150 

5th  Avenue. 
Bible    Society    Record.      N.   Y.  : 

Bible' House. 
The  Independent  (Monthly  Letters 

from   the    Mission    Field).     N.  Y.  : 

130  Fulton  street. 
The  Medical  Missionary  Record. 

N.  Y. :   118  East  45th  street. 
The   Presbyterian   Record    (Pre.s. 

Ch    in  Canada)     Montreal,  Canada. 
The    Canadian    Missionary    Link 

(Bapt.   Ch.    of  Canada).     Toronto, 

Canada. 
Methodist  Magazine  (Meth.  Ch.  in 

Canada).  Toronto,  Canada :  Metho- 
dist Pub.  House. 


APPENDIX. 


355 


The  Church  Missionary  Intel- 
ligencer (Ch.  Miss.  boc).  L. : 
Salisbury  Square,  E.  C. 

The  Chronicle  (London  Miss.  See). 
L.  :   14  Blomfield  street. 

The  Monthly  Messenger  and  Gos- 
pel IN  China  (Pres.  Ch.  of  Eng- 
land).    L. :  14  Paternoster  Square. 

Baptist  Magazine  and  Missionary 
Herald  (Bapt.  Miss.  Soc).  L.  : 
Alexander  &  Shepheard,  21  Fumival 
street. 

The  Evangelical  Magazine  (Or- 
gan of  Cong.  Ch.,  with  Missionary 
Supplement).  L.  :  Elliot  Stock,  62 
Paternoster  Row,  E.  C. 

Work  and  Workers  in  the  Mission 
FiEi  n  (Wesleyan  Miss.  Soc).  L.  : 
17  Bishopsgate  Street  Within. 

Wesleyan  Missionary  Notices. 
I..  :  Wesleyan  Mission  House,  17 
Bishopsgate  Street  Within. 

United  Methodist  Free  Church 
Magazine  (U.  M.  F.  Ch.).  L. :.  A. 
Crombie,  119  Salisbury  Square,  E.  C. 

Gleanings  in  Harvest  Fields 
(Meth.  New.  Con.).  L.  :  30  Fur- 
nival  St.,  Holborn. 

China's  Millions  (China  Inland 
Miss.).  L.  :  4  Pyrland  Road,  Mild- 
may. 

Central  Africa  (Universities'  Miss. 
to  Cent.  Africa).  L. :  14  Delahay 
street,  Westminster,  S.  W. 

Regions  Beyond  (East  London  In- 
stitute). L. :  S.  W  Partridge  & 
Co.,  9  Paternoster  Row,  E.  C.  N. 
Y.,C.,&T:  Fleming H  Revell  Co. 

South  American  Missionary  Maga- 
zine (S.  A.  Miss.  Soc).  L. :  Seeley 
&  Co.,  Essex  street. 

Evangelical  Christendom  (Evan- 
gelical Alliance).  L.  :  J.  S.  Phil- 
lips, 121  Fleet  street. 

The  Review  of  the  Churches.  L.  : 
Sampson  Low,  Marston  &  Co. 

Bible  Society  Monthly  Reporter. 
L.  :  146  Queen  Victoria  street. 

Moravian  Missionary  Reporter. 
L.  :  32  Fetter  Lane. 

North  Africa  (N.  A.  Miss.).     L. : 


S.  W.  Partridge  &  Co.,  9  Paternoster 

Row. 
Mission   Field  (S.    P.     G.).      L.  : 

19  Delahay   street,  Westminster. 
Anti-Opium  News.     L.  :  Rose  Street 

Comer,  Paternoster  Square. 
The  Zenana;  or, Woman's  Work  in 

India  (Zenana   Bible  and  Medical 

Mission).     L. :  James  Nisbet  &  Co. 
India's  Women  (Ch.  of  Eng.  Zenana 

Miss.  Soc).  L. :  James  Nisbet  &  Co. 
Medical  Missions  at   Home  and 

Abroad.     L.  :  John  F.  Shaw. 
The    Free    Church    of   Scotland 

Monthly.       L.     &    N.    Y. :      T. 

Nelson  &  Sons. 
The  Church  of    Scotland    Home 

and   Foreign    Mission    Record. 

Edinburgh:  42  Hanover  street. 
The   Missionary  Record    of  the 

United     Pres.  Ch.      Edinburgh: 

United         Presbyterian        College 

Buildings. 
The  Missionary  Herald  (Irish  Pres. 

Ch.).      Belfast,    Ireland:    12    May 

street. 
Journal   des    Missions    Evangel- 

IQUES.    Paris:  102  Boulevard  Arago. 
Allgemeine  Missions-Zeitsciirift. 

Ed.  Warneck.  Giitersloh,  Germany. 
Indl\n  Evangelical  Review.     Cal- 
cutta: Traill  &  Co.,  20  British  Indian 

street. 
Young    Men    of    India.      Madras : 

Young  Men's  Christian  Association. 
Harvest    Field.       Madras :    i\!eth. 

Epis.  Publishing  House. 
The  Chinese  Recordf  r.    Shanghai, 

China:  Amer.  Pres.  Mission  Press. 
China     Medical     Miss.     Joi'rnal 

(Quarterly).         Shanghai,      China: 

Amer.  Pres.  Miss.  Press. 
Messenger       (Chinese       Missions). 

Shanghai,  China:  Amer.  Pres.  Miss. 

Press. 
Missionary  Tidings  (Mission  Work 

in  Japan).     Yokohama,  Japan  :    F. 

Staniland,  70  Main  street. 
The  Imperial  and  Asiatic   Quar- 
terly Review.  Oriental  University 

Institute,  Woking,  Surrey,  England. 


VI.     ENCYCLOPEDIAS  AND   REPORTS. 

The    Encyclopedia    of    Missions.  I      ary   Conference  (1888).     2  vols. 

2  vols     Edited  bv  Rev.  E.  M.  Bliss.         Edited    by    Rev.    James  Johnston. 

N.  Y.  :    Funk   &    Wagnalls,    1891.        N.  Y.,C.,&T. :  Fleming  H.  Revell 

*T2.oo.  I      Co.     $2.00  net. 

Report  of  the   London    Mission-  I  Records   of   the    General    Con- 


356 


APPENDIX. 


FERENCE       OF       THE       PrOTESTANT 

Missionaries  of  China,  held  at 
Shanghai,  May  7  to  20, 1890.  Shang- 
hai :  American  Mission  Press,  i8go. 
$4.00. 

Classified  Digest  of  the  Records 
of  the  Society  for  the  Propa- 
gation OF  the  Gospel  in  Foreign 
Parts.  1701-1892.  L.  :  S.  P.  G. 
Office,  1893. 

Proceedings  of  the  Ninth  Conti- 
nental Missionary  Conference, 
held  in  Bremen  in  May,  1893. 

Fifth  General  Council  Pres. 
Alliance,  Toronto,  1892.  Edited 
by  Rev.  G.  D.  Matthews.  T.  :  Hart 
&  Riddell. 

Proceedings  of  Decennial  Con- 
ference at    Bombay,  Jan.,   1893. 

A  Manual  of  Modern  Missions. 
Rev.  J.  T.  Gracev.  N.  Y.,  C,  & 
T.:  Fleming  H.  Revell  Co.,  1893. 
$1.25, 


ANNUAL   REPORTS. 

(The  Annual  Reports  of  the  various 
Missionary  Societies  and  Boards  afford 
tlie  most  recent  and  reliable  sources  of 
current  information.  The  following 
list  is  a  partial  one,  but  the  reports 
mentioned  may  be  considered  as  es- 
sentia] in  any  comprehensive  survey  of 
Mission  progress  ) 

American  Board,  i  Somerset  St. ,  B. 
Pkesbyterian   Ch.  (North)    in   U. 

S.  A.,  53  Fifth  Ave.,  N.  Y. 
Presbyterian  Ch.   (South)   in  the 

U.  S.,  Nashville,  Tenn. 
Reformed  (Dutch)  Ch.  in  America, 

25  E.  22d  St.,  N.  Y. 
United  Pres.  Ch.  of  N.  A.,  136  N. 

iSth  St.,  P. 
Cumberland  Pres.   Ch.,  004  Olive 

St.,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 
Ref.  Pres.  Ch.  (Covenanter)  in  N. 

A.,  325  West  56th  Street,  N.  Y. 
Ref.    Pres.    General   Synod,  2102 

Spring  Garden  St.,  P. 
Baptist     Missionary     Union,      2A 

Beacon  St.,  B. 
Baptist     Southern      Convention, 

Rev.      R.     J.    Willingham,      Sec, 

Richmond,  Va. 
Meth.   Epis.  Ch.    (North),  150  Fifth 

Ave  ,  N.  Y. 
Bishop  Taylor's  .African  Mission, 

150   Fifth  Ave.,  N.  Y. 


Meth.  Epis.  Ch.  (South),  Nashville, 

Tenn. 
Prot.  Epis.  For.  Miss.  Soc,  Fourth 

Ave.  and  22d  St.,  N.  Y. 
Evangelical    Luth.    Gen.    Synod, 

1005    W.    Lanvale    St.,    Baltimore, 

Md. 
Evangelical  Luth.  Gen.  Council, 

4784  Germantown  Ave.,  P. 
Arabian  Mission,   Prof.  J.  G.   Lan- 
sing, Treas.,  New  Brunswick,  N.  J. 
American     Bible     Society,     Bible 

House,  N.  Y. 
American  Board   Almanac,  1  Som- 
erset St.,  B. 
Pres.    Ch.     in     Canada,     Toronto, 

Canada. 
Canada  Meth.  Miss.  Soc,  Toronto, 

Canada. 
Canada  Bap.  Miss,  Soc,  Woodstock, 

Ontario,  Canada, 
Church  Missionary  Society,  Salis- 
bury Square,  E.  C,  L. 
L0N.DON    Missionary    Society,    14 

Blomf^eld   St.,    L. 
Pres.     Church    of    England,     14 

Paternoster  Square,  L. 
Baptist    Missionary    Society,    21 

Furnival  St.,  L. 
Wesleyan  Missionary  Society,  17 

Bishopsgate  Street  Within,  L. 
United     Meth.      Free     Ch,,     119 

Salisbury  Square,  L. 
Methodist      New      Connexion,    4 

London  House- Yard,  St.  Paul's,  L. 
Primitive  Methodist,  71  Freegrove 

Road,  Hollcway,  L. 
Universities'  Mission  to  Central 

Africa,   14  Delahay  St.,  Westmin- 
ster, S.  W.,  L. 
China   Inland   Mission,   4   Pyrland 

Road,  Mildmay,  L. 
Moravian  Missionary  Society,  32 

Fetter  Lane,  L. 
Archibishop's  Mission  to  Assyrian 

Christians,      7      Dean's      Yard, 

Westminster  Abbey,  L. 
Soc.  for  the  Prop,  of  the  Gospel, 

19  Delahay  St.,  Westminster,  L. 
Welsh     Cai.vinistic    Methodists, 

28  Breckfield  Road,  South  Liverpool, 

Eng. 
Friends'    For.    Miss.    Association, 

Hitchin,  Eng. 
United   Pres.    Ch.    of    Scotland, 

United     Pres.    College     Buildings, 

Edinburgh. 
Church  of   Scotland,   42    Hanover 

St.,  Edinburgh. 
Free  Church  of  Scotland,  15  North 

Bank  St.,  Edinburgh. 


APPENDIX. 


357 


Pres.  Church  of  Ireland,  12  May 

St.,  Belfast,  Ireland. 

Paris  Evangelical  Society,  102 
Boulevard  Arago,  Paris. 

Basel  Evangelical  Mission  Soci- 
ety, Basel,  Switzerland. 

Berlin  Evangelical  Missionary 
Society,  Berlin,  Germany. 

Rhenish  Mission,  Barmen,  Ger- 
many. 


Gossner  Mission,  31  Potsdamer 
Strasse,  Berlin,  Germany. 

Evangelical  Lutheran,  Leipzig, 
Germany. 

Hermannsburg  Evangelical  Lu- 
theran Mission,  Hermannsburg, 
Germany. 

Church  of  Christ  in  Japan,  F. 
Staniland,  70  Main  St.,  Yokohama, 
Japan. 


INDEX. 


Adherents,   native,   of   Chris- 
tianity in  foreign  fields,  35,  338. 

Africa:  Macedonian  appeal  of, 
105-119 ;  area,  105  ;  population, 
106;  exploration,  107,  108;  pres- 
ent exploration  of,  108 ;  lan- 
guages of,  109 ;  Bible  transla- 
tions, 109;  religions  of,  no; 
number  of  Christians  in,  in  ; 
modern  partition  of,  112 ;  area 
under  control  of  various  govern- 
ments, 112;  the  Congo  Free 
State,  113;  chronological  sur- 
vey of  missions,  113-115  ;  vari- 
ous societies  conducting  work, 
114;  missionary  statistics,  117; 
slave-trade  and  rum  traffic,  116, 
170,  177 ;  trophies  of  the  Gos- 
pel, 117;  number  of  converts 
o.n  the  roll  of  prominent  soci- 
eties, 117 ;  statistics  of  Presby- 
tery of  Corisco  for  1891,  46  ;  of 
Batanga  Church  for  1892,  46; 
the  influence  of  Islam,  no,  117; 
the  modern  discovery  of,  T18; 
the  present  need  of,  118. 

Allen,  Dr.  H.  N.,  first  missionary 
in  Korea,  74. 

American  Board,  enters  Africa, 
114;  number  of  its  converts  in 
Africa,  117;  enters  Turkey,  120; 
enters  Persia,  129 ;  when  found- 
ed, 307. 


Aneityum,  memorial  tablet  to 
Geddie  at,  92. 

Archbishop's  Mission  to  Assyrian 
Christians,  when  founded,  129 ; 
its  object,  129;  spirit  of  its  work, 
162. 

Arya  Somaj,  in  India,  104;  mem- 
bership of,  185,  268. 

Assam,  statistics  of  missions  in, 
94. 

Baptist  Missionary  Society 
(of  England),  enters  Africa, 
114;  when  founded,  307. 

Baptist  Missionary  Union  (of 
America),  missions  of  in  Bur- 
ma, 94  ;  enters  Africa,  114. 

Basle  Missionary  Society,  enters 
Africa,  114;  enters  Persia,  129; 
missionaries  expelled,  129. 

Batanga,  statistics  of  Church  for 
1892,  46. 

Beirut,  activity  of  mission  press 
at,  330;  medical  school  at,  331. 

Belgium,  connection  with  the 
Congo  Free  State,  113. 

Berlin  Missionary  Society,  enters 
Africa,  114;  converts  in  Africa, 
117. 

Bible,  circulation  of,  in  Japan,  71. 

Bible  translations,  nuni!)in-  r  f, 
34;  Japanese  translation,  71; 
Korean,  75 ;  Chinese,  84  ;  Poly- 


359 


36o 


INDEX. 


nesian,  90;  Siamese,  95;  Bur- 
mese, 94,  95 ;  Karen,  95 ;  Afri- 
can, 109;  in  Turkish  Empire, 
125;  Persian,  128;  Syriac,  130; 
total  circulation  of  Scriptures 
during  the  century,  321. 

"Blue  Books,"  Chinese,  state- 
ments of,  166. 

Bradford,  Dr.  Mary,  her  medical 
services  in  Persia  during  chol- 
era epidemic,  131. 

Brahmo  Somaj,  in  India,  104  ;  de- 
scription of,  185,  268. 

British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society, 
when  founded,  307. 

Bruce,  James,  first  African  ex- 
plorer, 107. 

Buddhism,  in  Japan,  66;  intro- 
duced in  Korea,  73;  in  China, 
81 ;  in  India,  loi;  special  phases 
of  controversy  with  Christian- 
ity, 272-277. 

Burma:  the  Macedonian  appeal 
from,  93-95 ;  absence  of  caste 
in,  93;  interior  tribes  of,  94; 
entrance  of  Christian  missions, 
94;  statistics  of  mission  work, 
94  ;  translation  of  Bible,  94,  95 ; 
native  evangelists  among  the 
Karens,  94 ;  introduction  of 
opium,  174. 

Carey,  William,  his  arrival  in 
India,  loi  ;  his  instrumentality 
in  forming  Baptist  Missionary 
Society,  303 ;  his  leadership  in 
modern  missions,  304;  estab- 
lishment of  his  press  at  Seram- 
pore,  328. 

Caroline  Islands,  Church  of  Rome 
in,  161 ;  government  outrages 
in,  183. 

Central  America,  state  of  missions 
in,  140. 

Ceylon,  Christians  in,  loi. 

China:    Macedonian  appeal  of, 


76-85  ;  population  of,  jS ;  popu- 
lation of  Chinese  Empire,  76; 
density  of  population,  76  ;  strik- 
ing facts  about,  77,  78;  divisions 
of  language,  84;  opening  of,  78, 
82;  references  to  Christianity 
in  treaties  with,  78 ;  status  of 
foreigners  in,  79  ;  religions  of, 
80-82 ;  history  of  evangelical 
missions  in,  82;  mission  prog- 
ress in,  82,  83;  missionary  statis- 
tics of,  82,  83;  statistics  of  Shan- 
tung Presbytery  for  1891,  44; 
Dr.  Mitchell  on  the  needs  of, 
54;  famines  in,  83;  translation  of 
Bible  in,  84  ;  Romanism  in,  161 ; 
opium  traffic  in,  169-171;  culti- 
vation of  poppy  in,  175  ;  enmity 
to  missionaries  in,  180 ;  miles 
of  railway  in,  315  ;  circulation 
of  mission  literature  in,  329. 

China  Inland  Mission,  statistics 
of,  84. 

Chinese  Exclusion  Bills,  78,  79. 

Churches,  number  of  organized 
in  foreign  field,  325. 

Church  Missionary  Society,  enters 
India,  102 ;  early  explorations 
in  Africa,  108  ;  establishment  in 
Africa,  114;  occupies  Uganda, 
114;  converts  in  Africa,  117;  un- 
dertakes mission  work  in  Persia, 
129;  when  founded,  307;  contri- 
bution acknowledged  from  mis- 
sion churches,  338. 

Church  of  Christ  in  Japan,  69; 
seeks  admission  to  Presbyte- 
rian Alliance,  224. 

Clark,  Rev.  Francis  E.,  quoted, 
196. 

Coan,  Titus,  number  of  converts 
baptized  by,  92. 

Colonial  expansion,  its  relation 
to  missions,  314. 

Comity,  missionary,  importance 
of,  223. 


INDEX. 


361 


Conflicts  of  missions,  151-193 ; 
with  a  self-centered  Christian- 
ity, 153 ;  with  rival  and  intrusive 
missions,  159;  w^ith  misrepre- 
sentations, 163 ;  with  dangerous 
climates,  166  ;  with  political  and 
commercial  hindrances,  168; 
with  vice  and  greed,  178  ;  with 
governments  and  hierarchies, 
178 ;  with  heathenism  aroused 
to  self-defense,  184 ;  with  relig- 
ious instincts  and  training  of 
the  native  mind,  187;  with  the 
powers  of  evil,  191, 

Confucianism,  as  a  religious  sys- 
tem, 80;  special  phases  of  con- 
troversy with  Christianity,  272- 
277. 

Confucius,  80. 

Congo  Free  State,  liquor  traffic 
in,  170,  177. 

Controversies  of  Christianity  with 
opposing  religions,  245-293  ;  in- 
tellectual difficulties  of,  262 ; 
special  features  of,  270-277;  the 
victory  of  Christianity  antici- 
pated, 284,  285. 

Conversions,  total  number  of  dur- 
in  g  1892  inforeign  missionfields, 

43,  339- 

Converts  in  foreign  mission 
fields,  number  of,  35,  338 ; 
number  of  in  Japan,  70;  in 
Korea,  74;  in  China,  83;  in 
Polynesia,  90 ;  in  Burma,  94 ; 
in  Assam,  94 ;  in  India,  103  ; 
in  Africa,  115;  in  Persia,  132; 
in  South  America,  141;  diffi- 
culties of  in  embracing  Chris- 
tianity, 187-190. 

Cooperation  of  missionary  agen- 
cies, 222-228 ;  examples  of  in 
China,  223  ;  in  Korea  and  Chi- 
na, 225;  recent  conference  on, 
227. 

Coptic  Church,  animosity  of,  162. 


Corisco  Presbytery,  statistics  of 
for  1891,  46. 

Critics  of  missions,  their  frequent 
misrepresentations,  163 ;  nota- 
ble answers  to,  164. 

Cust,  Dr.  R.  M.,  his  researches 
into  the  languages  of  Africa, 
109. 

DosHiSHA  University,  presi- 
dents of,  69 ;  its  location  and 
number  of  students,  70. 

Duff,  Alexander,  his  work  in  In- 
dia, 102;  leader  of  educational 
movement  in  India,  327. 

Dufferin  Training  Schools  in  In- 
dia, 331. 

East  India  Company,  its  early 
attitude  to  missions,  307;  low- 
ered its  flag  to  half-mast  when 
Carey  died,  308;  liberty  of  evan- 
gelization granted  by,  311. 

Education,  place  of,  in  missions, 

230-233- 
Evangelism,  its  relation  to  other 
missionary  agencies,  228-236. 

Fairbairn,  Dr.  A.  M., quotation 
from,  10. 

Fetichism  in  Africa,  no. 

Fiji,  the  Training  Institution,  91 ; 
laws  regarding  the  liquor  traf- 
fic, 171. 

Finances  of  missions,  218-222; 
the  proper  administration  of, 
219  ;  giving  to  missions  a  Chris- 
tian duty,  220;  economy  of 
administration  demanded,  221 ; 
cooperation  desirable,  222. 

Free  Church  of  Scotland,  114. 

French  Evangelical  Society  (see 
Paris). 

Fusan,  a  treaty  port  of  Korea,  74; 
occupation  of,  75. 


362 


INDEX. 


Gardiner,  Allen,  his  mission- 
ary work  in  South  America,  135. 

Geary  Act,  78,  79. 

Geddie,  memorial  tablet  to,  at 
Aneityum,  92. 

Gensan,  a  treaty  port  of  Korea, 

74- 
Gordon  Memorial  Institute,  117. 
Gospel,  the,  needed  by  all  men, 

201-214;    a    divine    provision, 

213, 

Haas,  Rev.  F.,  begins  mission 
work  at  Tabriz,  129. 

Hawaiian  Islands  {see  Sandwich 
Islands). 

Heathen,  the,  salvability  of,  191  ; 
their  need  of  Gospel,  192,  202- 
214;  is  there  hope  for?  207-212. 

Heishiro,  assassination  of,  in  Ky- 
oto, 70. 

Hinduism,  its  rehgious  character 
and  extent,  100,  loi ;  special 
phases  of  controversy  with 
Christianity,  272-276. 

Hopkins,  President  Mark,  quoted, 
196, 

Huguenot  Seminary,  117. 

Hunan,  province  of,  its  anti-for- 
eign sentiment,  79. 

IBUKA,    Rev.    K.,    president  of 

Meiji  Gakuin,  69. 

Income,  of  missionary  societies, 
320;  possible  advance  if  all 
church-members  contributed, 
323,  324  ;  unreached  resources 
in  the  Church,  324. 

India  :  the  Macedonian  appeal  of, 
96-105  ;  area  and  population  of, 
96,  97  ;  results  of  recent  census, 
97  ;  political  history  of,  98  ;  es- 
tabhshment  of  British  rule  in, 
98;  material  progress  in,  99; 
government  system  of  educa- 
tion, 100  ;  religions  of,  100,  loi ; 


entrance  of  Protestant  missions, 
loi ;  missionary  statistics  of, 
102,  103 ;  progress  of  zenana 
missions,  103  ;  educational  and 
medical  statistics,  103 ;  religious 
changes  in,  104  ;  new  openings 
among  the  lower  castes,  104  ; 
work  of  native  missionaries, 
105  ;  ravages  of  disease  in,  167  ; 
opium  trafific,  169;  liquor  traf- 
fic, 170;  Presbyterian  Union  in, 
224;  number  of  missionary  so- 
cieties in,  311  ;  Third  Decen- 
nial Conference  on  Missions, 
311 ;  miles  of  railway  in,  315. 
Industrial  schools,  as  a  mission- 
ary agency,  234  ;  usefulness  of, 

332-335- 

International  Missionary  Union, 
321,  322. 

Inter-Seminary  Missionary  Alli- 
ances, 322. 

Japan  :  a  Macedonian  telegram 
from,  and  its  purport,  63-72 : 
political  history  of,  64 ;  estab- 
lishment of  constitutional  gov- 
ernment in,  64  ;  population  of, 
65  ;  geographical  extent  of,  65  ; 
physical  features  of,  65  ;  arts 
and  sciences  in,  66  ;  religions  of, 
66;  Papal  Christianity  in,  66; 
opened  to  intercourse  with  for- 
eign nations,  66 ;  phenomenal 
changes  in,  66 ;  newspaper 
press  of,  66 ;  elementary  edu- 
cation in,  67;  entrance  of  evan- 
gelical Christianity,  6j ;  intel- 
lectual conflicts  in,  68 ;  best 
educational  facilities  called  for 
in,  68  ;  ecclesiastical  organiza- 
tion in,  69;  Church  of  Chri-^t  in, 
69,  224 ;  history  of  Christian 
missions  in,  70  ;  missionary  sta- 
tistics of,  70;  translation  of  Bi- 
ble in,  71 ;  religious  prospects 


INDEX. 


363 


of,  71 ;  its  inviting  character  as 
a  mission  field,  71 ;  Romanism 
in,  160;  government  hostility 
to  propagation  of  Gospel,  183 ; 
miles  of  railway  in,  315. 

Japanese,  personal  characteris- 
tics of,  65 ;  ability  of  native, 
69. 

Java,  oppressive  policy  of  Dutch 
in,  170. 

Jesuits,  their  opposition  to  evan- 
gelical missions,  159;  political 
agents  in  foreign  fields,  160; 
intrigues  of  in  Syria,  161. 

John,  Dr.  Griffith,  large  circu- 
lation  of   his   Chinese    tracts, 

329- 
Judson,  Rev.  Dr.  Adoniram,  his 

arrival  in  Burma,  94 ;  his  trans- 
lation of  Bible  into  Burmese, 

94  ;  his  arrival  in  India,  102. 

Kanaka  traffic  in  Polynesia, 

169. 
Karens,  success  of  Gospel  among, 

95  ;  first  convert  among,  95  ; 
jubilee  of  m.issions  among,  95. 

Korea :  Macedonian  message 
from,  72-76;  area  and  popula- 
tion of,  72  ;  government  of,  72, 
73;  ethnic  peculiarities  of,  72; 
physical  features  of,  72  ;  foreign 
relations  of,  73 ;  Buddhism  in- 
troduced into,  73 ;  supplanted 
by  Confucianism,  73  ;  introduc- 
tion of  Roman  Catholicism,  73; 
persecutions  in,  73  ;  Papal  ad- 
herents in,  74;  opening  of  treaty 
ports  in,  74  ;  status  of  foreign- 
ers in,  74 ;  entrance  of  Gospel 
into,  74;  mission  statistics  in, 
74  ;  missionary  societies  in,  75  ; 
number  of  missionaries,  75 ;  at- 
titude of  government  to  Chris- 
tianity, 75 ;  anti-foreign  spirit, 
183. 


Ko-Tha-byu,  first  Karen  convert, 

95. 
Kozeki,  Rev.  H.,  president  of  Do- 

shisha  University,  69. 
Kyoto,  location  of  Doshisha  in, 

70. 

Labaree,  Rev.  Dr.  Benjamin, 
his  revision  of  Syriac  Bible,  130. 

Ladd,  Prof.,  visit  of,  to  Japan,  68. 

Laos,  statistics  of  Laos  Presbytery 
for  1891  and  1892,  45 ;  the  ban- 
ner presbytery  of  the  Church, 

45- 

Liquor  traffic,  in  India,  170 ;  in 
Africa,  170,  177. 

Literature,  Christian,  as  a  mis- 
sionary agency,  233 ;  value  of, 
in  missions,  328 

Livingstone,  David,  explorations 
in  Africa,  108;  his  death,  108; 
tablet  of  Royal  Geographical 
Society,  108 ;  monuments  in 
Edinburgh  and  Westminster 
Abbey,  319. 

London  Missionary  Society,  its 
first  missions  in  the  South  Seas, 
88 ;  enters  India,  102  ;  enters 
Africa,  114;  number  of  converts 
in  Africa,  117;  when  founded, 
307;  contribution  acknowledged 
from  foreign  mission  churches, 

338. 

Lovedale  Institute,  117  ;  a  promi- 
nent example  of  an  industrial 
school,  333  ;  foundation  of  simi- 
lar institution  in  British  East 
Africa,  333,  334. 

Lowell,  James  Russell,  quoted, 
39- 

Macedonian  vision,  present- 
day  meaning  of,  55-147;  its 
typical  significance,  55-58 ;  a 
call  to  foreign  missions,  55 ;  its 


364 


INDEX. 


counterpart  in  present  experi- 
ence of  Church,  58  ;  present- 
day  phases  of  stated,  60-147 ; 
the  Macedonian  call  of  Japan, 
63  ;  of  Korea,  72  ;  of  China,  76; 
of  the  Pacific  Islands,  85  ;  of 
Siam  and  Burma,  93;  cf  India, 
96  ;  of  Africa,  105  ;  of  the  Turk- 
ish Empire,  119  ;  of  Persia,  127; 
of  South  America,  132  ;  of  Cen- 
tral America,  139 ;  of  Mexico, 
140  ;  Macedonian  calls  still  un- 
voiced, 142 ;  the  present  urgen- 
cy of  these  calls,  143-147. 
Malua,  Samoan  Missionary  Sem- 
inary at,  91. 
Martyn,  Henry,  his  arrival  in  In- 
dia, 102  ;  his  work  in  Persia, 
128  ;  translation  of  New  Testa- 
ment into  Persian,  128 ;  his 
death,  129. 
Martyrs,  missionary,  in  the  South 

Sea  Islands,  92. 
Matheson,  Rev.  George,  critical 
remarks    on    his    "Distinctive 
Messages  of  the  Old  ReHgions,'' 
278,  279. 
Mecca  closed  to  missions,  309. 
Medical     Missionary     Societies, 
when  founded,  330 ;  number  of, 
331 ;    number  of  medical  mis- 
sionaries   in    the   world,    331  ; 
heroic  character  of  their  work, 
331.  332. 
Meiji  Gakuin,  native  president  of, 

69. 
Methodist  missions  in  India,  sta- 
tistics of  1892,  104. 
IMethods,     missionary,    228-236; 
analysis  of,  228  ;  comparison  of, 
230-236. 
Mexico:   Macedonian  appeal  of, 
139-142  ;  establishment  of  Prot- 
estant missions,  140  ;   statistics 
of  mission  work,  141 ;  attitude 
of  the  government,  141  ;   mate- 


rial progress  of,  141 ;  Roman- 
ism in,  161. 

Micronesia  {see  Pacific,  Islands 
of  the). 

Mirza  Ibrahim,  his  martyrdom  in 
Persia,  130. 

Missionaries,  number  of,  in  tie 
world,  35  ;  in  Japan,  70 ;  in 
Korea,  75 ;  in  China,  82 ;  in 
Burma,  94  ;  in  India,  102  ;  in 
Africa,  115  ;  in  South  America, 
138  ;  in  Mexico,  141. 

Missions,  the  true  theory  of,  199- 
214  ;  motive  in,  201 ;  object  of, 
201 ;  necessity  of,  202 ;  result 
desired,  214  ;  aim  of,  not  merely 
to  bear  witness  to  the  truth,  215; 
their  larger  purpose,  215 ;  the 
witness  in  its  fullness,  217;  the 
special  message  which  they 
bring  to  the  heathen  world, 
285-290;    indirect    results    of, 

344.  345- 
Mitchell,  Rev.  Dr.  Arthur,  quoted, 

54- 

Mohammedanism,  in  India,  loi ; 
in  Africa,  no,  117 ;  opposition 
of  to  Christian  missions  in  Tur- 
key, 180  ;  special  phases  of  con- 
troversy with  Christianity,  272-- 
277  ;  recent  effort  to  introduce 
in  America,  281, 

Monier-Williams,  Sir  M.,  quoted, 
244. 

Moravian  Missionary  Society, 
early  entrance  into  Africa,  113  ; 
enters  South  America,  135  ;  pio- 
neers in  missions,  303. 

Native  agency,  its  importance 
in  missions,  236-242  ;  the  prob- 
lems involved  in,  238  ;  Church 
organization  as  a  feature  of, 
239 ;  its  growing  power  as  an 
evidence  of  mission  success, 
336 ;  extensive  cooperation  of, 


INDEX. 


365 


336 ;  founding  missionary  so- 
cieties, 337  ;  contribution  of  na- 
tive churches,  338. 

Natives,  number  of  engaged  in 
mission  work,  35,336;  promi- 
nent positions  occupied  by,  336. 

Xeesima,  Joseph  Hardy,  69. 

Nestorian  Church,  Archbishop's 
Mission  to,  129. 

Netherland  Society,  when  found- 
ed, 307. 

New  Guinea,  native  missionary 
service  in,  91. 

New  Hebrides,  trade  in  intoxi- 
cants and  firearms  in,  170;  re- 
strictive legislation  toward,  170; 
statistics  of  mission  work  in, 

343- 
New    Lovedale,   its    foundation, 

333.  334- 
Norfolk  Island,  St.  Barnabas  Col- 
lege, 91. 

Oceania  {see  Pacific,  Islands  of 
the). 

Opium  traffic,  169-176  ;  in  China, 
171 ;  protest  of  British  Parlia- 
ment against,  172 ;  in  India, 
173  ;  in  Upper  Burma,  174 ;  ar- 
guments of  those  who  favor, 
17s  ;  its  evil  effects,  172-176. 

Pacific,  Islands  of  the  :  Mac- 
edonian appeal  of,  85-93;  geo- 
graphical divisions  of,  86 ;  en- 
trance of  evangelical  missions, 
87,  88  ;  number  of  islands  and 
population,  89;  extension  of 
missions  among,  89 ;  missionary 
statistics,  90;  groups  practically 
Christianized,  90;  prominent 
missionary  training-schools  in, 
90;  activity  of  native  mission- 
aries, 91  ;  native  contributions, 
91 ;  missionary  martyrs  of,  92; 
islands  still  to  be  evangelized, 


92;  labor  traffic  in,  169;  great 
I      ingathering   in   Sandwich   Isl- 
'      ands  in  1838,  346. 
j  Paris  Evangehcal  Missionary  So- 
ciety, enters  Africa,  114;   con- 
verts in  Africa,  117. 

Park,  Mungo,  his  explorations  in 
Africa,  107. 

Parker,  Dr.,  first  medical  mission- 
ary to  China,  331. 

Parsees  in  India,  loi. 

Paton,  Dr.  J.  G.,  his  testimony  to 
mission  progress  in  the  New 
Hebrides,  343. 

Patteson,  Bishop,  his  martyrdom, 

345- 

Perry,  Commodore,  expedition  of, 
to  open  Japan,  66. 

Persia:  Macedonian  appeal  of, 
127-132 ;  area  and  population, 
127;  prominent  races,  127;  re- 
ligions, 128;  translation  of  New 
Testament  by  Martyn,  128  ;  va- 
rious missions  in,  129  ;  persecu- 
tions, 130  ;  martyrdom  of  Mirza 
Ibrahim,  130 ;  Syriac  transla- 
tion, 130  ;  ravages  of  cholera 
in  1892,  131 ;  mission  statistics, 
132;  Archbishop's  Mission  in, 
129,  162  ;  persecution  in,  183. 

Pfander,  Rev.  C.  G.,  missionary 
in  Persia,  129. 

Plutschau,  a  pioneer  missionary 
in  India,  loi. 

Plymouth  Brethren,  their  relation 
to  evangelical  missions,  162, 
163. 

Polynesia  (see  Pacific,  Islands  of 
the). 

Ponapc,  Roman  Catholics  in,  161. 

Presbyterian  churches,  number 
of  non-contributing,  156. 

Presbyterian  Church  (North),  first 
missions  in  India,  102  ;  converts 
in  Africa,  117;  Persian  mission 
transferred  to,  129. 


366 


INDEX. 


Presbyterian  Church  of  Scotland, 
first  missions  to  India,  102. 

Presbyterian  Union,  in  Japan,  69, 
224;  in  India,  224;  in  Korea, 
225  ;  in  China,  225. 

Press,  Mission .  issues  of  at  Shang- 
hai, 329  ;  at  Beirut,  330. 

Problems  of  missions,  197-242 ; 
problem  of  theory,  199;  of  fi- 
nance, 218 ;  of  cooperation, 
222;  of  method,  228  ;  of  native 
development,  236. 

Providence  of  God  favors  mis- 
sions, 305,  306;  by  opening  the 
world  to  the  entrance  of  the 
missionary,  308-313  ;  by  devel- 
oping colonial  enterprise,  314; 
by  affording  them  every  facil- 
ity, 315 ;  by  the  advancement 
of  Orientnl  rcJiolarship,  316; 
by  removinc^  hindrances,  317. 

F^unjab,  Church  of  Rome  in,  161. 

Religion,  definition  of,  247,  248. 

Religions,  false,  248-254 ;  gene- 
sis and  development  of,  248, 
249:  historic  relation  of  to  re- 
vealed truth,  250,  251 ;  traces  of 
original  truih  in,  253;  idealized 
representations  of,  256,  257; 
characteristics  of,  258,  259;  mis- 
sion of  Christianity  to,  259 ; 
spirit  of  Christianity  toward, 
260  ;  serious  nature  of  conflict 
with,  262 ;  Christianity  must 
never  compromise  with,  264  ; 
special  message  of  Christianity 
to,  and  various  replies  of,  270- 
277 ;  pov/er  of,  illustrated,  282 ; 
message  of  Christianity  to,  indi- 
cated in  detail,  285-293  ;  failure 
of,  conspicuous,  291. 

Rhenish  Missionary  Society  en- 
ters India,  114. 

Roman  Catholic  Missions,  oppo- 
sition of,  159;  status  of,  in  Japan, 


160;  in  China,  161  ;  in  the  Car- 
oline Islands,  161 ;  in  the  Pun- 
jab, 161 ;  in  Syria,  161 ;  in  Mex- 
ico, 161;  in  Uganda,  162. 
Ross,  Rev.  John,  his  missionary 
work  in  Korea,  74 ;  his  transla- 
tion of  Xew  Testament  into 
Korean  language.  74. 

Samoan  Islands,  the  contribu- 
tion of  natives  to  London  Mis- 
sionary Society  in  1890,  91. 

Sanatoria,  missionary,  168. 

Sandwich  Islands,  Pentecostal  in- 
gathering at,  346. 

Scholars,  in  higher  educational 
institudons,  35  ;  in  village  mis- 
sion schools,  35 ;  in  mission 
Sabbath-schools,  325 ;  total  of 
pupils  in  mission  institutions, 
326. 

Schools,  mission,  their  impor- 
tance and  proper  function,  228- 
236. 

Scottish  Mission  Society,  v/hen 
founded,  307. 

Seoul,  mission  churches  in,  74;  a 
treaty  port,  74  ;  baptism  of  first 
convert,  74. 

Shanghai,  the  conference  of  1890, 
84,  85 ;  action  of  conference  with 
reference  to  Bible  translations, 
84;  call  for  1000  missionaries,  85; 
activity  of  Mission  Press  at,  329. 

Shantung  Presbytery,  statistics  of 
for  1891,  44. 

Shintoisni,  66. 

Siam  :  Macedonian  appeal  from, 
93-96 ;  religions  of,  93  ;  progress 
of  Gospel  in,  95;  missionary 
statistics  of  Laos  field,  45  ;  atti- 
tude of  Siamese  government 
toward  missions,  95  ;  Siamese 
translation  of  Bible,  95. 

Singapore,  Chinese  coolies  at, 
169. 


INDEX. 


367 


Slave-trade  in  Africa,  duty  of  civ- 
ilized governments  with  refer- 
ence to,  170. 

Smith,  Dr.  Eli,  his  work  in  trans- 
lation of  Arabic  Bible,  330. 

Smith,  Dr.  Judson,  quoted,  296. 

Societies,  missionary,  number  of, 
in  the  world,  35  ;  in  Japan,  70; 
in  Korea,  75  ;  in  China,  82 ;  in 
Burma,  94  ;  in  India,  102  ;  when 
founded,  307  ;  growth  of,  317 ; 
rate  of  increase,  320  ;  advances 
in  income,  320;  those  having 
annual  income  of  over  a  million, 
320;  growth  and  number  of 
woman's  societies,  321 ;  growth 
of  native,  337. 

Somerville,  Dr.,  his  use  of  Pocket 
Atlas  as  Prayer-book,  318. 

South  America :  Macedonian  ap- 
peal of,  132-139  ;  area  and  pop- 
ulation, 133;  various  races,  133  ; 
political  divisions,  133  ;  natural 
features,  133  ;  religious  history, 
134 ;  spirit  of  Papal  Church, 
134;  missionary  societies,  135; 
religious  needs  of,  137;  dearth  of 
missionaries  in  various  states, 
137;  statistics  of  mission  work, 
138. 

Southey,  quoted,  211. 

South  Sea  Islands  (see  Pacific, 
Islands  of  the). 

Speer,  Robert  E.,  quoted,  296. 

Stations,  mission,  number  of  in 
the  world,  325. 

Statistics,  of  foreign  mission  work 
in  the  world,  35,  320;  of  mission 
converts  in  1892,  43,  339;  of  mis- 
sions in  Japan,  70;  in  Korea, 75; 
in  China,  82,  83  ;  in  Polynesia, 
90,  91  ;  in  Siam  and  Burma, 
94;  in  India,  102;  in  Africa,  115, 
117;  in  the  Turkish  Empire, 
125  ;  in  Persia,  132 ;  in  South 
America,  138 ;  in  Mexico,  141 ; 


of  mission  stations  in  the 
world,  325  ;  of  native  churches 
and  helpers,  325  ;  of  Sab- 
bath-schools in  foreign  fields, 
325- 

Stewart,  Rev.  Dr.  James,  his  work 
at  Lovedale  and  as  founder  of 
New  Lovedale,  333,  334. 

Storrs,  Rev.  Richard  S.,  quoted. 
150. 

Students'  Volunteer  Movement, 
321. 

Stundists,  persecution  of,  183. 

Success  of  Foreign  Missions,  297- 
346  ;  how  estimated,  298  ;  char- 
acteristics of,  299;  indicated 
by  providential  cooperation, 
305.  306;  by  multiplication  of 
missionary  agencies,  317;  by 
establishment  of  the  mission 
plant  in  foreign  lands,  325  ;  by 
introduction  of  Gospel  leaven 
throughout  the  heathen  world, 
335  I  by  cooperation  of  native 
agencies  and  growth  of 
spontaneity  in  the  mission 
churches,  336 ;  by  actual  con- 
versions, 338,  339  ;  indirect  re- 
sults of,  344;  great  ingather- 
ings, 346. 

Syria,  statistics  of  Tripoli  field 
for  1891,  43  ;  Jesuit  intrigue  in, 
161. 

Syrian  Protestant  College,  medi- 
cal department  of,  331. 

Taoism,  81. 

Taylor.  Dr.  J.  Hudson,  his  state- 
ment in  regard  to  opium  in 
Chma,  172. 

Telugu  Mission,  large  number 
baptized  on  first  Sabbath  of 
July,  1878,  346. 

Testimony  of  eminent  men  as  to 
the  value  of  missions,  164. 

Theory  of  missions,  the  true,  200. 


368 


INDEX. 


Thibet,  still  inaccessible  to  mis- 
sionaries, 309. 

Thoburn,  Bishop  J.  M.,  quoted, 
10, 30 ;  his  report  of  progress  in 
India,  341. 

Tokyo,  newspaper  press  of,  66 ; 
missionary  statistics  of,  70  ; 
number  of  students  in,  71. 

Treaty  rights  of  missionaries,  180. 

Tripoli,  mission  statistics  of,  for 
year  1891,  44. 

Turkish  Empire :  Macedonian 
appeal  of,  1 19-127;  political 
history,  119;  condition  of  Chris- 
tian races,  119,  120;  perils  of 
Moslem  converts  to  Christian- 
ity, 120 ;  entrance  of  Protestant 
missions,  120;  progress  of  the 
Christian  races,  121  ;  spirit  of 
Islam,  121 ;  obstructive  policy 
of  Turkish  government,  121, 
122 ;  the  coming  conflict  be- 
tween Islam  and  Christianity, 
122;  struggle  for  religious  lib- 
erty, 123;  Bible  translations  in, 
125  ;  statistics  of  missions,  125  ; 
American  colleges,  125  ;  prog- 
ress of  evangelical  literature, 
125  ;  relations  of  the  American 
churches  to  missionary  enter- 
prise, 126;  anti-missionary  spirit 
manifested,  180;  power  of  eccle- 
siastics in,  184. 

Uganda,  occupied  by  Church 
Missionary  Society,  114  ;  mar- 
tyrs of,  117;  Romanism  in,  162  ; 
British  protectorate  declared, 
312 ;  reception  of  New  Testa- 
ment in,  342, 343  ;  Bishop  Tuck- 


er preaches  to  an  audience  of 
5000,  343. 

Underwood,  Dr.  H.  G.,  his  bap- 
tism of  first  convert  in  Korea, 
74;  his  Korean  Dictionary,  75. 

United  Presbyterian  Church 
(American),  114;  converts  in 
Africa,  117. 

United  Presbyterian  Church 
(Scotch),  114. 

Universities'  Mission,  114. 

Van  Dyck,  Dr.  C.  V.  A.,  his 
work  in  translation  of  Arabic 
Bible,  330. 

Wesleyan  Missionary  Soci- 
ety, entrance  into  India,  102; 
converts  in  Africa,  117. 

Williams,  Dr.  S.  Wells,  founder 
of  mission  literature  in  China, 

329. 
Wishard,   Mr.  L.  D.,  his  report 
of  Y.  M.  C.  A.  in  foreign  fields, 

337- 
Witness-bearing  to  the  truth,  the 
true  meaning  of,  as  an  aim  of 
missions,  214-217. 

Xavier,  Francis,  in  Japan,  66. 

Young  Men's  Christian  As- 
sociations, 321 ;  in  foreign 
fields,  337. 

Zenana  missions,  their  prog- 
ress in  India,  103  ;  importance 
of,  325,  326. 

Ziegenbalg,  a  pioneer  missionary 
in  India,  loi. 


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